The Best Fall Orzo Salad with Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Meet your new favorite fall salad! This Fall Orzo Salad with Crispy Roasted Sweet Potatoes is loaded with tender orzo, massaged kale, sweet dried cranberries, toasted pecans, and shallots, all tossed in a deliciously sweet and tangy orange balsamic fig dressing! The real star? Golden, cinnamon-sage-roasted sweet potatoes with perfectly golden crispy edges! It's colorful, cozy, easy to prep ahead of time (it actually tastes even better the next day), and it's guaranteed to steal the show at Thanksgiving, Friendsgiving, or your next fall gathering.

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Keyword 30 minute meals, dairy free, easy holiday recipes, gluten free, meal prep, plant based

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 25

Total Time 35

Servings servings

Calories 526kcal

Author Jackie Akerberg

Equipment

Oven

Ingredients

1½ cups dry orzo cooked according to package in salted water, cooled to room temp
2 medium sweet potatoes cubed
1 tbsp arrowroot powder cornstarch, or tapioca flour
½ tsp paprika
½ tsp garlic granules
½ tsp dried sage
1 tsp sea salt
¼ tsp black pepper
6-8 Tuscan kale leaves stems removed, finely chopped
½ lemon juiced
1 tsp olive oil optional
1 small shallot thinly sliced or chopped, soaked in warm water for 10 minutes
½ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
½ cup toasted pecans

Orange Fig Balsamic Salad Dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar*
2 tbsp orange juice
½ tsp maple syrup
½ tsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp fig jam
½ tsp garlic powder
salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees - I like to use convection bake for extra crispiness, but a regular oven is just fine; you may just need to cook a little bit longer!
Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with a touch of olive oil if desired. Sprinkle with starch, spices, salt and pepper. Toss to evenly coat and spread on a large metal baking sheet. Transfer to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden and crispy, shaking every so often to loosen from the pan and turn slightly. Remove and let cool.
Add the chopped kale to a bowl and add the lemon juice and optional olive oil. Use your hands to massage for 10-15 seconds until tender.
Add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a jar and whisk with a fork or use a frother for even more emulsion. Season to taste.
Rinse the cooled orzo well and drain completely right before adding it to the bowl with the other salad ingredients, since it can stick together or dry out while cooling.
Top with the dressing and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Notes

*Option to substitute white balsamic vinegar for traditional balsamic vinegar, apple cider vinegar, or champagne vinegar. Each will yield a slightly different but delicious result.

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