Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

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Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette is smoky grilled sweet potato with crumbled bacon and fresh veggies tossed in a maple bacon dressing!

**This post was originally published in September 2014.  The photos, recipe and part of the text have been updated.

Summer may be coming to a close, but my grill is still working over time.  It’s so hot out, so I’ve been grilling anything and everything.  I’ve almost been living off of grilled vegetables lately, and of course I’m still on my grilled sweet potato kick. 🙂

I know it hasn’t been very long since I posted my Grilled Sweet Potato Fries, but I tried to warn you in that post that there would be other varieties coming.

Grilled sweet potatoes are where it’s at for me.

This salad combines the smoky, sweet flavor of grilled sweet potatoes with the saltiness of bacon and the freshness of green onions and chopped bell pepper.  It’s all tossed in a sweet and savory maple bacon dressing that contains a bit of bacon grease for even more bacon flavor.

When bacon is involved, you gotta go big or go home. 🙂

Despite the bit of bacon grease in the dressing, this salad is on the healthy side compared to those mayo laden potato salads.

I’ve included nutrition information for this salad, which includes all of the dressing.  You definitely don’t need it all, so if you’d like to decrease the amount of fat and calories, use only enough dressing to coat the salad.

How to Grill Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes are very easy to grill and you can’t beat those beautiful grill marks!

Simply preheat your grill (or grill pan) to medium high heat to get it piping hot.  Slice your sweet potatoes into 1/2″ thick rounds and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper, to taste.

Place the sweet potato rounds on the grill and turn the heat down to medium.  Cook for 5-7 minutes per side or until nice grill marks form and the top looks slightly blistered.  If your potatoes aren’t cooking fast enough or don’t have prominent grill marks, turn the heat back up to medium high.

When in doubt, press down gently on the sweet potatoes or prick with the tip of a knife to check for doneness.

Customizing your Grilled Sweet Potato Salad

You can get totally creative with your additions, or keep it simple.  Use any of your favorite veggies, or make it vegetarian by omitting the bacon.

If you prefer not to use bacon grease in your dressing, replace it with the same amount of olive oil.  This grilled sweet potato salad recipe would also be wonderful with the balsamic vinaigrette that I used in this salad.

This Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette is a new and exciting twist on potato salad that’s perfect for a bbq, potluck or picnic!

Check out these other delicious summer sides!

Broccoli Slaw Salad

Three Bean Salad

Greek Panzanella

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Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes

Additional Time: 1 minute

Total Time: 30 minutes

Grilled Sweet Potato Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette is smoky grilled sweet potato with crumbled bacon and fresh veggies tossed in a maple bacon dressing!

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Ingredients

For the Grilled Sweet Potato Salad:

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• 2 lbs. sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2" thick rounds
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 4 slices center cut sliced bacon, crumbled (reserve the bacon grease for the dressing)
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced, both white and green parts
• 1 small bell pepper, seeded or chopped (I used half red and half yellow)

For the vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon reserved bacon grease
• 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the grill to medium high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, toss the sweet potato rounds with 1 tablespoon olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper until the potatoes are well coated. Place the potato rounds on the preheated grill and turn the heat down to medium. Grill 5-7 minutes per side or until each side is well charred and the potatoes are tender (the potatoes will appear slightly blistered when they're ready). Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Place the olive oil, red wine vinegar, bacon grease, maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and pepper in small bowl and whisk to combine.
4. When the sweet potatoes have cooled slightly, cut them into chunks or slice width-wise and place in a serving bowl. Add the bacon, green onion and bell pepper and toss with the desired amount of dressing.
5. Serve warm or at room temperature. Enjoy!

Notes

• The potato salad may be made a few hours in advance -- just keep the bacon separate to ensure that it retains its crispness.
• Feel free to substitute the veggies I've used with any of your favorites!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1/4th
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 413Total Fat: 21gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 13mgSodium: 277mgCarbohydrates: 53gFiber: 8gSugar: 15gProtein: 6g

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