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    Southwestern Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad

    December 15, 2019 by Denise Bustard 41 Comments

    Home / Recipes / Salad / Southwestern Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    Wild rice and sweet potato salad is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a chili lime vinaigrette. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and perfect for lunch or a side salad!

    When it comes to salads, the more colors, the happier I am! Some of my favorite colorful salads include a good old classic Cobb Salad or Taco Salad, but when I'm craving something a little different, I go for this Wild Rice + Sweet Potato Salad.

    pouring vinaigrette over sweet potato salad

    With a delicious base of wild rice blend and roasted sweet potatoes, we load our salad up with crunchy carrots and celery, fresh cilantro leaves, red onions, and a tangy chili lime vinaigrette that makes anything and everything taste like a million bucks.

    This salad is one I come back to time and time again because it's hearty, healthy, and absolutely delicious!

    Reasons you'll ♡ this sweet potato salad

    • it's beautiful and perfect for a dinner party
    • it's vegan-friendly and gluten-free
    • with a few swaps, you can make this in to a tasty meal prep lunch!

    Recipe video

    Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped this salad recipe. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.

    Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!

    overhead view of ingredients used in sweet potato salad recipe

    Let's talk ingredients

    • sweet potato- around 4 cups of cubes which is 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
    • veggies- red onion, bell peppers, carrots and celery. You can swap these out for what you have in the fridge!
    • wild rice blend- I prefer the texture of a wild rice blend, but you could go 100% wild rice if that's your thing! This is the blend I used.
    • cilantro- only add if you are eating this salad within a few hours of making it
    • chili lime vinaigrette- which is one of my all-time faves! With white wine vinegar, olive oil, chili powder, garlic, lime juice, honey and dijon, it's absolutely delicious.

    sweet potato cubes on sheet pan for wild rice salad

    Tips for the perfect salad

    • hot or cold? I tend to serve this salad cold, and allow the rice and sweet potatoes to cool before mixing it all together. I bet it would be delicious warmed as well.
    • big batch- this makes 8 servings, so it's good for feeding a crowd. You can easily cut the recipe in half if you need to.
    • meal prep- this salad does not keep well after tossing in the dressing, but you could meal prep it by prepping all the ingredients except the cilantro. Leave the dressing off until you are ready to serve.
    • make it a meal- you could totally bulk this salad up with 1-2 cans of black beans, some cooked chicken, or your favorite protein.

    Find my Instant Pot models, jars and other kitchen equipment in my shop!

     

    chili lime vinaigrette for the wild rice salad recipe

    Can I add other veggies?

    Sure, this is a really great 'clean out the fridge' kind of salad

    • roast up some cauliflower, zucchini, carrots, brussels sprouts or broccoli with the sweet potatoes
    • add in some fresh tomatoes when serving
    • make it spicy with some fresh minced jalapeno peppers

    Can I make this recipe vegan?

    Yes, you can swap the honey for maple syrup at a 1:1 ratio.

    What should I serve with sweet potato salad?

    To make this a meal, you could simply add a can of black beans. Here are some other ideas:

    • tofu- make a batch of Easy Baked Tofu
    • shrimp- use this Honey Lime Air Fryer Shrimp recipe
    • chicken- try this Perfect Baked Chicken Breast

    overhead view of the roasted sweet potato salad

    This post was originally published in 2014. It has been republished with new photos and recipe tips in 2019, same great recipe!

    hand pouring jar of dressing onto the southwestern wild rice and sweet potato salad
    Print Recipe
    5 from 9 votes

    Southwestern Wild Rice and Sweet Potato Salad

    Course: Salad
    Cuisine: Mexican
    Calories: 195kcal
    Author: Denise Bustard
    Servings: 8
    Wild rice and sweet potato salad is loaded with healthy veggies and tossed in a chili lime vinaigrette. Gluten-free, vegan-friendly, and perfect for lunch or a side salad!
    Prep Time20 mins
    Cook Time45 mins
    Total Time1 hr 5 mins

    Ingredients

    Roasted Sweet Potato

    • 4 cups sweet potato (peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes; roughly 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes)
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • salt & pepper

    Salad

    • ¾ cup wild rice blend (uncooked )
    • 1 carrot (peeled and grated)
    • 1 celery (finely chopped)
    • 1 red pepper (diced)
    • 1 yellow pepper (diced)
    • ¼ cup red onion (finely chopped)
    • ½ cup cilantro leaves (roughly chopped; loosely packed)

    Vinaigrette

    • 3 tablespoons olive oil
    • 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
    • 2 teaspoons lime juice
    • 1 teaspoon chili powder
    • 2 teaspoons honey (maple syrup to make it vegan)
    • 1 clove garlic (minced)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt

    Instructions

    Roasted Sweet Potato

    • Heat oven to 425°F. Toss sweet potato in olive oil, and season with salt & pepper. Arrange on a baking sheet or baking dish.
    • Bake for 15 minutes, stir up, and continue to bake for another 10-15 minutes, until a fork goes into the sweet potatoes easily.
    • Remove from oven and set aside to cool.

    Salad

    • Cook rice according to package directions. You should end up with just over 2 cups of cooked rice. Allow to cool completely before assembling the salad.
    • Combine cooled sweet potato, cooled rice, and remaining salad ingredients.
    • Shake together all vinaigrette ingredients and toss salad thoroughly.

    Storage

    • If you are planning to make this salad ahead, leave off the cilantro until just prior to serving.
    • For meal prep- omit the cilantro and add a can of black beans. Portion out into 2 cup meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1/8 of batch | Calories: 195kcal | Carbohydrates: 30g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 126mg | Potassium: 406mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 11368IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 29mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @SweetPeaSaffron or tag #sweetpeasandsaffron

    About Denise Bustard

    Denise Bustard is the creator of Sweet Peas and Saffron, a meal prep-focussed food blog. With a PhD in biochemistry, Denise takes a scientific approach to perfecting her recipes. You can find Denise's work featured on Huffington Post, MSN, Self and more. read more

    Previous Post: « Hearty Lentil Soup
    Next Post: Kale Barley Salad with Feta and a Honey Lemon Vinaigrette »

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    Comments

    1. Emily

      February 25, 2020 at 12:58 pm

      This was really great! I noticed that the dijon mustard was left out of the recipe ingredients but you mentioned it in the post. I might try to add a little dijon next time!

      Reply
    2. Wendy

      January 19, 2020 at 8:21 am

      5 stars
      I made this for my husband for his lunch and he called me to tell me "my lunch was delicious"! I agreed with him - YUM!!!! TY for a great recipe!

      Reply
      • Denise

        February 03, 2020 at 12:34 pm

        Yay! So happy to hear this, Wendy! I appreciate you taking the time to leave a review 🙂

        Reply
    3. Cameo

      July 13, 2019 at 11:43 am

      Has anyone tried freezing this and thawing it out later?

      Reply
      • Denise

        July 22, 2019 at 1:17 pm

        Hi Cameo, I wouldn't recommend freezing this one, the veggies will soften and may get slimy.

        Reply
    4. Alli

      October 21, 2017 at 6:45 am

      I made this last night and we loved it. So pretty and tasty. I'm looking forward to the leftovers for my lunch today. 🙂
      I'm sure it's delicious as written, but I did make a couple of changes: 1. I saw my semi-solid coconut oil in the pantry when I reached in for the olive oil, and decided to toss the sweet potatoes with that. It added a very light flavor that worked perfectly with the chile-lime flavors. 2. I was out of cumin - oh no, what to do! In place of the 1/4 tsp of cumin, I added 1/8 tsp each of turmeric and coriander. Luckily it tasted fine. 🙂 But next time (probably next week) I'll use the cumin. 3. I left out the celery just because nobody in my family is crazy about it, and the salad already had such a variety of color and crunch.
      Thank you for sharing this lovely tasty recipe!

      Reply
      • Denise

        October 22, 2017 at 11:55 am

        Love your modifications, and I'm glad you enjoyed the salad!

        Reply
    5. Stephanie

      October 04, 2017 at 7:50 pm

      The salad was fabulous! I used farro since I had it on hand. Warmed it up just a little bit to take the chill off of it. Any ideas on calorie count?

      Reply
      • Denise

        October 05, 2017 at 1:34 pm

        Love that you used farro, now I want to try it! I haven't added nutritional info to this recipe yet (most of my older recipes don't have that info) but I'll let you know as soon as I do!

        Reply
    6. Megan Davies

      May 16, 2016 at 3:47 pm

      This salad looks incredible! I think i'm going to try and make it tonight and save the rest for lunch! I'm assuming this is meant to be eaten cold, could I warm it as well?

      Reply
      • Denise

        May 16, 2016 at 3:58 pm

        Hi Megan! Thanks so much! You know, I've only eaten it cold. I bet it would be yummy hot, too though...let me know how it is if you try it!

        Reply
    7. Julie

      May 23, 2015 at 8:18 pm

      I made this tonight and I wanted to lick my plate. The vinaigrette was amazing with the sweet potato. I didn't have any wild rice, so I used quinoa. I also added black beans and corn.

      Reply
      • Denise

        May 25, 2015 at 8:50 pm

        I'm so glad you liked the salad, Julie! I bet the quinoa, black beans and corn were delicious!

        Reply
    8. Heidi

      March 31, 2015 at 8:36 pm

      Made it. Tasted it. Loved it! Wondering how many calories this is per serving or how many weight watchers points? - thanks

      Reply
      • Denise

        March 31, 2015 at 9:20 pm

        Hi Heidi! I'm so glad you liked the salad! I'm not actually sure how many calories or WW points are in the salad (I don't provide them for legal reasons), however you could try putting it through a calculator like My Fitness Pal or Spark Recipes.

        Reply
    9. Ms. Becky

      March 23, 2015 at 12:31 pm

      5 stars
      I just made this salad and it is delicious. I am often wary of trying new things - I buy strictly organic and if the recipe doesn't pan out, I've wasted all that good stuff. It has happened many times, I tell you. Well, this time I did not strike out! Thanks for a delicious, nutritious salad that I'm able to make for my husband's lunch. I hope you have a beautiful day!

      Reply
      • Denise

        March 24, 2015 at 11:03 pm

        Hi Ms Becky! So glad you liked the salad 🙂 There is nothing worse than wasting good ingredients, especially organic! Have a great week!

        Reply
    10. Kelly - Life Made Sweeter

      November 05, 2014 at 3:15 pm

      We didn't get very many trick-or-treaters either since it was raining and chilly. This salad looks perfect for detoxing! Love all those glorious sweet potatoes and the chili lime vinaigrette sounds amazing!

      Reply
    11. Natalie @ Tastes Lovely

      November 05, 2014 at 2:13 pm

      5 stars
      Shawn and I did the same thing with the scary movies on Netflix! Waaaay too scary looking! We settled on Hocus Pocus. That's a safe one. Sharknado is so funny, huh? They're coming out with part 2 soon. I love this wild rice bowl! Perfect for fall. And that chilli lime vinaigrette is perfect for this.

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 05, 2014 at 9:40 pm

        Aaah I was looking at Hocus Pocus on On Demand but we don't have it on our netflix and I didn't want to pay $6. But I loved Hocus Pocus so much growing up I went to see it in the theaters twice! I want to re-watch it 🙂

        Reply
    12. Jess @ Flying on Jess Fuel

      November 04, 2014 at 11:29 am

      oooh, this sounds awesome! Such a PRETTY salad and full of delicious ingredients, too! I love that all the colors means lots of nutrients!!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 04, 2014 at 8:54 pm

        Totally! I hadn't meant to put so many veggies in the salad but just kept going and couldn't stop myself. I like a nice rainbow in my salad 😉

        Reply
    13. Annie @Maebells

      November 04, 2014 at 6:42 am

      5 stars
      I am such a bad salad maker, I never come up with a good flavor combo. I love this though! I can't wait to try it!

      Reply
    14. Denise

      November 03, 2014 at 10:46 pm

      Thanks, Nicole! I often put honey in my vinaigrettes to just get a touch of sweetness, you should try it!

      Reply
    15. Raquel @ My California Roots

      November 02, 2014 at 9:26 pm

      YUM! That looks so delicious. The dressing sounds so good! Chili, honey & lime are the perfect dressing combo, in my opinion 🙂

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 03, 2014 at 10:31 pm

        Thanks Raquel! The dressing is my favorite part 🙂 Trying to think of what I can put it on next!

        Reply
    16. Isadora @ she likes food

      November 02, 2014 at 8:25 pm

      We had way more trick or treaters than I thought we were gonna get and it was so much fun! I still ate way too much candy now and could really use a salad like this! I love everything you put in here and that vinaigrette sounds awesome!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 03, 2014 at 10:25 pm

        I'm jealous of your trick-or-treaters, Isadora! Love seeing the little kiddos in their costumes 🙂 Thanks so much!

        Reply
    17. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

      November 02, 2014 at 5:37 pm

      I can't believe that Halloween is over and it's November already! Time sure flies. This salad looks amazing, Denise! I love the pretty colors and combination of veggies. Sounds like a perfect fall salad!

      Reply
    18. Denise

      November 02, 2014 at 1:19 pm

      Thanks, Cailee, I'm a sweet potato addict, and I see you are one too 🙂

      Reply
    19. Kristine @ Kristine's Kitchen

      November 02, 2014 at 10:19 am

      Wow, this looks SO good! I love how colorful and healthy it is. Recipes that I can make for dinner and then enjoy for lunches later in the week are my favorite! Pinned!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 02, 2014 at 1:21 pm

        Thanks, Kristine! I love multi-purpose dishes, less work for me 🙂

        Reply
    20. Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}

      November 02, 2014 at 8:07 am

      It is certainly time to bust out the hearty, grainy salads! I'm going to start with this one, lush!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 02, 2014 at 1:20 pm

        It snowed here yesterday! Now that it's November, I'm really getting into the hearty foods. Thanks, Emma!

        Reply
    21. Thalia @ butter and brioche

      November 01, 2014 at 9:46 pm

      5 stars
      What a delicious salad recipe Denise! The star of this whole dish though is that chilli and lime vinaigrette.. it looks and sounds so delicious. Definitely a recipe I can see myself creating!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 02, 2014 at 1:19 pm

        Oh I am in love with the Chili-Lime Vinaigrette. I could put it on any salad 🙂 Thanks, Thalia!

        Reply
    22. Leah | So, How's It Taste?

      November 01, 2014 at 3:04 pm

      Look at that color! Gorgeous! I am drooling over this one. This sounds so good and I bet the leftovers are awesome, too. Might have to make this for the work week!

      Reply
      • Denise

        November 02, 2014 at 1:19 pm

        Thanks, Leah! It makes for a great lunch 🙂

        Reply

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