Grilled Sweet Potato and Blueberry Salad: A Burst of Flavors and Nutrients

Dining Al Fresco? We have the perfect recipe for any outdoor gathering.

Get out of the kitchen and head outdoors this summer for fresh, delicious meals that call for lighting the grill and relaxing in the backyard. Take some of your favorite courses – like salads, for instance – to the next level by adding grilled ingredients for that perfect bit of char.

Watch how to make it at the video below!

This Grilled Sweet Potato and Blueberry Salad offers all the tastes of the season with spring salad mix, fresh blueberries, walnuts and blue cheese. Topped with homemade lemon honey vinaigrette, it’s a light yet filling meal fit for warm days thanks in part to the superfood that takes it to new heights: Sweet Potatoes.

As one of the most versatile vegetables that’s easy to add to a variety of recipes for flavor and nutrition enhancement, sweet potatoes can be a key ingredient in simple or elevated, sweet or savory dishes alike. Whether they’re cooked on the stove, baked, microwaved, slow-cooked or grilled to a perfect doneness with a crispy char, they can be an ideal addition to better-for-you summer meals.

Plus, they’re a “diabetes superfood” per the American Diabetes Association because they’re rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fiber, all of which are good for overall health. When enjoyed with the skin on, one medium sweet potato contains more than 100% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A, an important vitamin affecting vision, bone development and immune function. They’re also a good source of fiber and rich in potassium.

Another fun fact: the National Sweet potato Collaborators officially adopted the one-word spelling in 1989 to avoid confusion with equally unique and distinctive potatoes, which are also grown and marketed in the U.S. Sweet potato is a noun, not an adjective, meaning “sweet” is not a descriptor but part of the actual nomenclature. This is different than other potatoes using adjectives like white, red or russet to describe an entirely different vegetable.

Find more nutritional information, fun facts and summer recipe ideas at NCSweetpotatoes.com.

Grilled Sweet Potato and Blueberry Salad

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Recipe courtesy of the North Carolina Sweet Potato Commission and Andrea Mathis (beautifuleatsandthings.com)

Serves 4

Ingredients

Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 2-1/2 tablespoons honey
• salt and pepper, taste

Sweet Potatoes

• 3 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and pepper, to taste

Blueberry Salad

• 4 cups spring salad mix/greens
• 1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed and dried
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
• optional garnish, lemon wedges

Directions

Lemon Honey Vinaigrette

1. In bowl, mix olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard and honey. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Sweet Potatoes

1. Preheat grill to medium heat. Drizzle sweet potatoes with olive oil and season with salt and pepper, to taste.
2. Grill sliced sweet potatoes on each side for about 5 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender and slightly charred.
3. Remove from grill and let cool.

The Build

1. Spread spring salad mix onto large platter and top with grilled sweet potatoes, blueberries, walnuts and blue cheese crumbles.
2. Top with lemon honey vinaigrette and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired.

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