Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing
This delicious salad recipe features roasted sweet potato, wild rice and arugula. It's fresh, filling and nutritious! Enjoy this salad all week long.
Updated by Kathryne Taylor on September 3, 2024
This stunning salad came to be by accident. In a state of impending hanger, I threw together the leftovers scavenged from my fridge: fresh arugula, cooked wild rice, baked sweet potato fries (why not?), and ginger dressing.
I topped it with the leftover toasted nuts and seeds sitting in a bowl by the sink, and somehow summoned the energy to add some crumbled feta.
That salad really hit the spot, so I jotted down some notes about it and here we are.
Why This Salad Works
Spicy arugula offers a nutritious, green base. Fresh ginger in the salad dressing balances the sweetness of the caramelized, roasted sweet potatoes. I’ve been obsessed with wild rice in salads lately, since it offers such a great, chewy-tender texture and nutty flavor.
Crumbled feta, green onion and dried cranberries round it out to create a bold, beautiful fall and winter salad. This is a meal-in-a-bowl situation.
Watch How to Make Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad
Salad Notes
This is a seriously large salad that makes great leftovers. Be sure to store the salad and dressing separately if you intend to have leftovers that last for several days. You can toss it all together at once, but the arugula wilts fairly quickly—not a bad effect if you’re eating it all within a day or so.
You could also easily halve this recipe, if you don’t want to make an enormous amount at once. Either way, you’ll end up with some leftover dressing that you can use to improvise your own salads. Let me know how those turn out!
If you have an Instant Pot, (affiliate link) check out the recipe notes for a foolproof and faster way to cook the wild rice.
Change It Up
This recipe is versatile. Here are a few ways to change it to suit your needs:
- For extra protein, add cooked chickpeas.
- Butternut squash would work well in place of the sweet potato. Or, you could save time and simplify the recipe by swapping raw diced apples for the sweet potato.
- Any cooked whole grain (about 3 cups) will work in place of the wild rice; farro or wheat berries would be really nice.
- Sub your favorite green for the arugula (massaged chopped kale or baby kale, spinach, spring greens, etc.).
Please let me know how this salad turns out for you in the comments! It’s not the quickest salad to make, but it keeps so well that it’s definitely worth the effort.
Craving more hearty salads that keep well? Here are a few of my favorites:
- Hearty Roasted Butternut Squash & Apple Salad
- Arugula and Wild Rice Salad with Zippy Lemon Dressing
- Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce
- Greek Lentil Salad
Hearty Sweet Potato, Arugula & Wild Rice Salad with Ginger Dressing
This delicious salad recipe features roasted sweet potato, wild rice and arugula. It’s fresh, filling and nutritious! Enjoy this salad all week long. This recipe yields a lot of salad (6 generous servings) and is easily halved.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup wild rice, rinsed
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, divided
- 1 ½ pounds sweet potatoes (2 medium or 3 small), peeled and sliced into 1” cubes
- 1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup raw pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), sunflower seeds, chopped pecans or almonds, or any combination thereof
- 5 ounces arugula (about 5 packed cups)
- ½ cup crumbled feta or goat cheese (about 2 ounces)
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, to taste
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 2 teaspoons finely grated fresh ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- About 20 twists of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- To cook the wild rice: Bring a large pot of water to boil (or see Instant Pot option provided in notes). Add the rinsed rice and continue boiling, reducing heat as necessary to prevent overflow, for 40 minutes to 55 minutes, until the rice is pleasantly tender but still offers a light resistance to the bite. Remove from heat, drain the rice and return the rice to pot. Cover and let the rice rest for 10 minutes, then remove the lid, stir in ¼ teaspoon of the salt, and set aside.
- Meanwhile, to roast the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup. Place the cubed sweet potato on the pan, drizzle with the olive oil and sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon of the salt. Toss until the sweet potatoes are lightly and evenly coated in oil. Arrange the sweet potatoes in a single layer and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, tossing halfway, until they are caramelized on the edges and tender when pierced through with a fork. Leave the oven on and let the sweet potatoes cool for a few minutes.
- To make the dressing, simply combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Set aside.
- Combine the arugula, wild rice and roasted sweet potatoes (keep the parchment paper) in a large serving bowl or platter.
- Spread the seeds and/or chopped nuts on your parchment-covered baking sheet. Bake for 3 to 4 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant (be sure to set a timer; we’re toasting at high heat here).
- Spread the toasted seeds/nuts over the salad. Top with the crumbled feta, green onion and dried cranberries.
- If you’re serving the salad immediately, go ahead and drizzle most of the dressing on top (you probably won’t use it all). Gently toss to combine, and let the salad rest for a few minutes so the rice has time to absorb some of the dressing. Serve.
- If you’re planning to have leftovers, divide the salad into portions and store the dressing separately. The salad and dressing will keep well, each covered in the refrigerator, for up to 5 days. Leftover dressing is great to keep on hand for future salads!
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the feta. For a vegan salad, be sure to use maple syrup instead of honey.
Make it nut free: Use pepitas and/or sunflower seeds in place of the nuts.
Instant pot option: Add the wild rice and 1 ¼ cups water to the Instant Pot. Secure the lid and move the steam release valve to Sealing. Select the Manual/Pressure Cook option and cook on high pressure for 22 minutes. When the cooking cycle is complete, let the pressure naturally release for 10 minutes, then move the steam release valve to Venting to release any remaining pressure. When the floating valve drops, remove the lid and give the rice a stir. Let the rice cool for at least 10 minutes before tossing with the remaining ingredients.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Hey! This looks delicious, but I have a question about the dressing. I admittedly like ginger in small amounts, with sushi or stir fry meals. What do you recommend for a dressing which compliments these glorious ingredients, without the ginger? Can I just omit it? Thanks!
Hi Virginia! The ginger flavor is not overpowering. If you like ginger with your sushi or stir fries, I think you would like this dressing. If you don’t want to risk it, I’d recommend using the salad dressing shown here.
Hi, Your recipes look delicious and I was anxious to try many of them. However, the sodium content is very high. Many of your recipes list over 1000 milligrams of sodium per serving. That is dangerously high for one meal. Is there a way to alter your recipes so that the salt content is at a healthy level without losing the flavor? Thank you.
Hi Judy! Thank you for your question. I could get really into this, but I would say adjust based on your own health needs. :) Salt has many health benefits (assuming to healthy concerns) and provides a lot of flavor. Some are higher, like my soups, when you use canned goods. You can always see if there is a non-can alternative, buy low sodium or cut back on your salt you add. I hope this helps!
This sounds delish!!! Have you ever tried it with a balsamic dressing? Admittedly, I’m not a huge fan of ginger. :)
I haven’t with this one, but I do love a good balsamic!
I LOVE salads: thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Phyllis!
I read this recipe this morning, had all the ingredients and so thought I would try making this salad for lunch. What a treat! The ginger dressing brings it all together so nicely, heat, sweetness and tangy pepper flavors. I am so pleased I made the big batch and decided not to halve the recipe. Thank you Kate! (I also ate your baked oatmeal for breakfast so I am having a Cookie and Kate day!!)
Fantastic, Joanne! I love that you made this as a treat. :) Thanks for you feedback and great to hear you are loving more recipes!
How many twists of ground pepper for this recipe? thanks
It’s the last ingredient in the list.:) Roughly 20.
So Good! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Gayle!
I loved this. My husband did not like because the texture of the rice and sweet potatoes was made it soft and chewy. That was my favorite part.
Funny how taste can differ so much! But, I’m happy you were able to enjoy it.
What a great combination of flavors! Being from MN, I was just thinking that I needed to make something with wild rice, and voila, in popped your delicious recipe! The whole family loved it! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Beth! Thanks for sharing the whole family loved it.
I made this last night! It was sooooo good! I loved the dressing!! I was able to get three meals from this!! I am making it again tonight but will add more arugula!
Great! Thanks, Francine!
Hi Kate,
I made this last night for my family and we all loved it. I honestly was a little skeptical at first of the sweet potato in a salad but was pleasantly surprised. Your photos look like you used yams but you listed sweet potato so I stuck with that. Also, for those that don’t like a lot of ginger I didn’t notice it all that much in the dressing. I love ginger but was glad that it didn’t overpower all the other flavors. I have noticed most of your salads are on the more filling side but this one seemed lighter to me so I may add some protein next time. Thank you for all the delicious salads. They are my favourite part of your website.
I love that you tried it! Thanks for sharing, Hillary.
Nailed it!
:) :) Thanks, Gaby!
Hi,
I Love your site and your cookbook. Thanks for all of your wonderful recipes.
I prepped this so would you recommend I heat my rice and sweet potatoes before I put this together?
-Barb
I personally like it a little on the warmer size, but you can serve cold as well. It depends on your preference!
Words cannot describe how amazing this salad was! I didn’t have enough rocket so added coriander as an extra leaf but it still worked! Thank you
You’re welcome! I’m glad you loved it.
Hi Kate
Made this tonite for wife and I
It was Dee lish !!
Great textures , a little sweet , a little salty , tender , crisp, crunchy and creamy from the sweet potatoes.
Added diced cooked chicken marinated in some of the dressing.
A definate winner!
Thank you for sharing
Jim☺
You’re welcome, Jim! Thanks for your comment.
Made this for my Book Club lunch and it had rave reviews! The ginger is not overpowering, as some seem to be concerned about. Granted, I like ginger, but it was subtle and really enhanced the overall flavours. Didn’t need all the dressing but will be good on other things.
As you mentioned, it makes a lot. As a substantial side with a coconut curry dal, it made 10 servings.
Hooray! Thank you so much for sharing, Donna. I do really appreciate it!
This was amazing! So delicious and so many wonderful tastes in each bite. It was a hit. Thank you!
Thank you, Debbie!
Hi Kate,
I haven’t tried this recipe yet but plan to this week. I just wanted to say that I think you’re so wise to take things slow and keep your business small and enjoy your dream job. And not get overwhelmed and burnt out which I’m sure would be easy when you’re so good at your job! I’m wishing you a balanced and enjoyable 2019. Your recipes are full of quality tips and that can’t be rushed. I’m happy for you to take more vacations and enjoy your personal life… and still have your dream job :)
Thank you, Amy for your sweet words. I hope the same to you as well this year!
Delicious and gorgeous!!! Love your recipes, your blog and your cookbook, Kate! I don’t comment often enough on your fabulous, healthy and tasty recipes. But my lunches are all made for the week between the BEST Lentil Soup and this amazing salad…so I had a little extra time today :)
I’m so happy to hear you love this one! What a great combination for lunch. I appreciate the review, Judy.
Thanks for great recipes, I can always rely on you when I need to make something simple and delicious!
Thanks for sharing, Elena!
So good! We’re not the biggest fans of cold salads in winter, so I used mostly sweet potatoes and wild rice for the base (still warm), and arugula as a topping.
Thank you for sharing, Bethany!
Thank you, Barb! I think you can do either, whatever you prefer. I personally like it a little warmer.
I made this tonight and super loved it! It’s going into our regular meal rotation. I used both pepitas and sunflower seeds, feta and goat cheese, and didn’t use all the dressing. It hit the spot! Thanks for another awesome hearty salad recipe :)
I’m excited it hit the spot for you, Chelsea! Thank you for sharing and providing a star review!
Hi, Kate! Thank you for the recipe. I decided to cook the rice in my instant pot this morning but it cooked in 30 mins because I was not quick enough to adjust the time. I am avnewbie with the instant pot. I can not wait to do this salad for lunch today. I would let you know what I think about it and post it on Instagram. I would like to know if the rice is suppose to be wet and moist when cooked in the instant pot because that is how it turned out. I have never cooked wild rice so I would appreciate the feedback. Also, why do you state to drain the rice in the instructions? Do I have to do the same when using the instant pot? I hope you can reply! Have a blessed day!
I also made the rice in my instant pot – it was a little wet when I opened the lid, but once I let it sit for 10-15 min, it dried up. I stirred it occasionally as it was cooling also.
Hi Elizabeth! Depending on how much water you put in the rice to make it, plus how much is left once it is ready, you may need to drain some off. It all depends. For the Instant Pot, you shouldn’t need to.
Made this last night for dinner – delicious! I did use a butternut squash instead of sweet potatoes, since that’s what I had on hand. The dressing was great – the bit of ginger really made it unique. I also think this is the first time I’ve ever made wild rice. Thanks for the instantpot instructions. I got the instantpot thinking I’d use it for beans, grains, etc, but haven’t used it as much as anticipated. So thanks for providing a reason to pull it out and use it. :)
That’s a great substitution, Breanne! Thanks for your feedback. I’m really glad the instantpot directions were helpful.
This salad was delish! I used your creamy carrot and ginger dressing with it and it was amazing. I do have a question though…29 grams of fat for one serving? How can this be?
Love this recipe! I roasted my sweet potatoes with coconut oil, pink Himalayan sea salt and a dash of cinnamon – mixed with the ginger dressing it tastes amazing!
Sounds delicious, Kaitlin!
Really enjoyed this excellent and nutritious salad last night!
Wonderful to hear, Tom! Thanks for your review!
So good! Dressing is amazing!
Thanks, Karen!
Excellent recipe! My husband actually said it might be the best salad I ever made. I served with diced pork medallions. This is a keeper!
I love that! Thanks for your review, Colleen.
Hello Kate (and Cookie!)
My husband and I gave up meet a few months ago and I must admit, I take inspiration from your blog almost weekly.
I made this salad yesterday evening. I cooked the rice the day before to save time. I was not quite sure about the taste (goat cheese, cranberries, ginger, aragula…) but when we tasted it, everybody was like «This is soooooo good»!
This is definitely a recipe that needs to be done again.
Thanks for sharing it with us!
Marie
You’re welcome! I’m happy to hear C+K is a go-to for you and your husband. Thanks for trusting the recipe and trying it!
Thanks for implementing my suggestion. The button at the top has made it easier for me now. Not that I hate to read through the introductions, but sometimes, I really just want to get my hands on the recipe. But by and large, I sincerely appreciate the great effort you’re putting out. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
This salad is perfection and has been my go-to for work lunches!!
A great lunch for the week! Thanks for sharing, Bhadra.
Hi there Kate! (PLEASE REPLY TODAY!)
I just made this salad for a party tomorrow night. It is DELICIOUS by the way! I have never made this before and read your recipe as, “If you are saving for later, portion the salads and put dressing on each.” as doing it right away. So, I added the dressing…ARGH!!! I think I might have made a huge mistake:-( Then I read it again, because my instincts told me it might not be a good idea. It states to add dressing as you go…..:-( Will my salad, nuts and everything else be soggy? I made a HUGE one, so lots of ingredients would go to waste….I am so sad right now.
Seriously, though, soooooooo good! Amazing!
Please advise!
Renee
I Renee, I’m sorry for my delay! I was a little backlogged with some website things. How did it turn out? It might have been a little soggy, but should still taste good. Again, sorry for the delay!
My husband first said “this is one of the best salads you’ve ever eaten, right?” followed definitively by “this is the best salad I’ve ever had.” Thank you for this phenomenal recipe, Kate!!! “Meal in a bowl” is right!
Success! Thank you so much for your comment, Jill! :)
This is our absolute favourite salad at the moment. I can’t wait to have people over and make it again. The ginger in the dressing is definitely not overpowering, so I would recommend everyone try it. We used black rice as we didn’t have wild at home. Thanks so much.
You’re welcome, Many! Thanks for sharing.
I used kale and quinoa instead of arugula and wild rice, and it was AMAZING! Fantastic recipe, thank you!!!!
Thank you for sharing you variation, Selma!
This is certainly one of my new favorite salads! This has such a great mix of flavors and as a salad it’s also very comfort-food like.
I already have your cookbook and cook out of it regularly, but I love that there are additional recipes of yours available. I don’t think I could ever tire of your recipes.
I’m happy to hear that, Nicole! I’m glad you are really enjoying the recipes.
This salad was amazing! I used raisins instead of craisins since that is what I had on hand. LOVE the dressing!
Thanks, Bethany for sharing!
I love this recipe! I used a mix of greens and red quinoa, since in Brussels I could only find a mix of wild rice and long grain rice (not sure about long grain in salads..). I also tend to use half the amount of olive oil in dressings, the mixture becomes thicker but I just put less of it. I think these are small modifications based on my own personal taste and the recipe totally deserves 5 stars! :)
Thank you for sharing, Effie! I appreciate the review.
This salad is INCREDIBLE. It is so satisfying and delicious! 10/10 will make again.
Thanks, Lindsey!
I searched dairy free and soy free recipes so I could make something she would enjoy. She is unable to eat dairy or soy due to breastfeeding. The baby just can’t tolerate anything that’s got dairy or soy.she raved about how good it was and even posted a picture of the salad on Instagram. My dear friend commented on it so I made the salad for her also. She raved about how delicious the salad is. So I decided to make the salad and bring it to work. Everyone raved about how good it was. I have shared the recipe four times. I only made the first salad 7 days ago.
Thank you Cookie and Kate for sharing your joy.
That’s so hard! I’m happy she has found something she can enjoy during this time. Thanks for sharing, Melody!
Kate, this was so delicious that after my first bite I knew I had to leave a review and say thanks for lunch!
You’re welcome! Thanks, Rissa!
My friend made this at a dinner party last night. It was delicious
Great to hear!
I made this today and it is so delicious! One of my new favorite cold salads for lunch! Thank you so much!
You’r welcome! Thanks for the review.
I made this for dinner tonight! I also made a pear-parsnip soup, and the salad ended up being so hearty that I barely ate my soup and now I have good leftovers for the week. I used spinach and butter lettuce for the greens (because its what I had in my fridge) and used some leftover garlic-herb rice. I thought the ginger dressing would be weird with the garlic-herb rice so i made a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was delicious!
The ginger dressing is interesting but makes it! Thanks for trying it and letting me know what you think, Teri.
Made this tonight as a side dish for pear-parsnip soup. The salad was so hearty that it should have been the main dish. I subbed spinach and butter lettuce for arugula (what I had on hand) and used some leftover garlic-herb rice from another dinner. I made a honey balsamic dressing because I thought ginger would be weird with the rice I used. The salad was so filling and delicious, i’m glad I made a large batch because it will be a great lunch to take to work for a few days.
Thanks for sharing, Teri!
Hi Kate! I’m a longtime fan of all your salads. My family has made this one several times in the past month or so. We can’t get enough. Thanks for this amazing recipe. It’s a keeper, and especially great for make-ahead lunches.
I’m happy to hear you are loving the recipes! You’re welcome for another one. :) Thanks for letting me know you loved it.
Hi, I love this recipe, and it leaves me full and satisfied, and hope people use the ginger dressing (which is not overpowering for the volume of ingredients used- in fact I added a full tablespoon of ginger and it balances the arugula flavor). While carmelizing the sweet potato, I used avocado oil instead of olive oil (avocado oil having a higher smokepoint). I was wondering if you could research this more- olive oil degradation at high temperatures. I’ve read different articles (with varying temperatures) claiming olive oil degrades as low as 375F
Thanks, Eve for sharing! I’ve done some research too and still don’t have a definitive answer.
This salad is so delicious! It’s the perfect combination of everything. Each bites sends my taste buds all over the place.The cranberries bring the perfect about of sweetness and the ginger is so light and subtle. Can’t say enough wonderful things about this! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Hilary!