I love a good roasted vegetable salad. I am also a fan of damn good salad dressings and this maple mustard dressing is frickin’ TOPS. It is savory, sweet, complex, and stupidly simple to put together! There is no need to have that summertime sadness which has you say goodbye to salads, this recipe lets you have the best of both worlds. Crisp Fall weather and tasty, complex salads!
It’s important that my salads don’t have too much chew factor going on. I know that seems kinda counter to what salads are (big bowls of vegetables) but really, the best salads are ones that play with your texture palate, not fatigue it. We don’t wanna re-create those #healthy instagram salad bowls that are basically raw vegetables 1,500 different ways. #nothanks
This salad works because you roast off the sweet potatoes which softens them and also makes them warm! Warm salads are a Fall necessity. Then you add some corn for sweetness. Yes, even in the Fall, because frozen corn exists and we are not corn snobs here, no siree we are not! Add some carrot ribbons for texture and coarse chopped romaine for that green factor. Warm rotisserie chicken gives more body and adds that satiating factor, otherwise you’d just get hungry again in 45 minutes.
Then that damn dressing. It is so tasty. It plays off of honey mustard but adding maple syrup gives it a decidedly different flavor profile. It’s like if honey mustard dressing had an elder sister, maple mustard dressing would be that elder sister. It’s also so easy to put together, just 4 major ingredients and then some salt, pepper, and cayenne if you wanna add some spice. I call this dressing “stupid easy” because it is just stupid how easy it is to make. Bonus points: it doesn’t require a fancy machine, you are just gonna use a whisk and some good ‘ole elbow grease to whisk this up.
I hope you make this salad. You can assemble it all while the fries bake, making the whole process really relaxing. It uses simple, everyday ingredients which are readily available at most grocery stores. Also, it is really delicious.
Try my other Fall favorite salads!
Healthier Turkey Cheeseburger Salad
Maple Mustard Salad with Oven Roasted Sweet Potato Fries
A cozy fall salad that is filled with oven roasted sweet potato fries and chicken then topped with a sweet and savory maple mustard dressing.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes about 10 ounces
- 1 tbs canola oil
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 1/4 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp table salt
- small dash cayenne, for heat
- 1 large carrot
- 1 large romaine head or 2 if you like a lot of greens in your salad
- 1 cup corn
- 8 oz rotisserie chicken Note 1
- salt and pepper for finishing the salad
Maple Mustard Dresssing
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 1/4 cup maple syrup Note 2
- 1/4 cup spicy or brown mustard Note 3
- 1/4 cup honey mustard Note 3
- salt and pepper, to taste
- cayenne, to taste
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 400°. Wash the sweet potatoes, dry them with a kitchen towel and cut them in straw sized sticks, there is no need to peel them. Place the fries onto a 18×13 sheet tray lined with parchment paper, drizzle with canola oil, and sprinkle on the black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and salt. Use your hands to mix the fries together so that every side is coated in oil and spices. Spread out the fries so they all have space. Bake for 35-40 minutes.
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While the sweet potato fries bake, assemble the rest of the salad ingredients. Peel the carrot, then continue using the peeler to create carrot "ribbons" (see photos). Rinse the romaine then give it a rough chop. Add the carrots and romaine to their serving plates, set aside. During the last 15 minutes of the fries cook time, boil the corn so that it is warm when served on the salad. The rotisserie chicken should be hot but if not, just microwave it in intervals on a microwave safe plate until it is heated through.
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Now, it's time to make the salad dressing while the fries finish baking. In a medium bowl , pour in the oil, maple syrup, and mustards, add spices, whisk until combined. Taste test and add more spices if needed. It will make 1 cup.
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When the fries finish baking, it's time to finish assembling the salad! Divide the chicken and corn among the plates with the chopped romaine and carrot ribbons. Divide the fries among the plates. Now drizzle each salad with about 1/4 cup dressing, or more to taste! Sprinkle the salad with a bit more salt and pepper. Eat the salads immediately when they are warm. You will have leftover dressing, it can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.(Note 4)
Recipe Notes
Note 1: I often sub meal prepped chicken to rotisserie meat because I almost always have the former in my fridge. I will be posting a recipe for my meal prepped chicken thighs soon and will link it here when the time comes. You can sub any prepared heated chicken for the rotisserie, such as chicken tenders, etc.
Note 2: Use actual maple syrup. The grade doesn’t matter, but do NOT sub with pancake syrup.
Note 3: I’ve seen mustard brands whose flavors vary, any mustard labeled as spicy or brown will work here. Any honey mustard (or sweetened mustard) works here as well.
Note 4: This dressing is amazing with chicken tenders. Try it.
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