Salad with Sweet Potato, Corn & Apple
Boiling the sweet potato instead of roasting it is the move that makes this salad work in 15 minutes. The cubes come out soft and creamy, soaking up every drop of the honey-lemon vinaigrette.
Corn, crisp apple, crumbled feta, and a handful of pumpkin seeds complete the bowl. At 902 kcal, 48 g of fat, and 15 g of fiber, this is a full lunch, not a side dish. The pumpkin seeds alone deliver roughly 150 mg of magnesium per ounce, about a third of the daily value.
Boiling the sweet potato instead of roasting it is the move that makes this salad work in 15 minutes. The cubes come out soft and creamy, soaking up every drop of the honey-lemon vinaigrette.
Corn, crisp apple, crumbled feta, and a handful of pumpkin seeds complete the bowl. At 902 kcal, 48 g of fat, and 15 g of fiber, this is a full lunch, not a side dish. The pumpkin seeds alone deliver roughly 150 mg of magnesium per ounce, about a third of the daily value.
Ingredients
- sweet potato 0.5 pound
- corn 3 ounces
- apple 1
- scallion 1
- olive oil 1.5 tablespoon
- lemon juice 1 squeeze
- honey 1.5 teaspoon
- mixed salad 1 handful
- feta cheese 2 ounces
- pumpkin seeds 1 ounce
Method
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Peel sweet potato, cut into cubes, boil 10 min, drain, rinse under cold water, cool slightly.
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Rinse corn in colander, drain.
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Wash apple, quarter, remove core, cube. Slice scallion into rings.
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Make dressing with olive oil, lemon juice, and honey.
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Place lettuce with sweet potato, corn, apple, and scallion in bowl. Sprinkle feta cheese, top with pumpkin seeds. Season with salt and pepper.
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Serve salad with dressing.
The sweet potato is boiled here, not roasted. A 2025 study testing seven home cooking methods found boiling retained the most beta-carotene (p < 0.05), while air frying lost the most. The olive oil in the dressing then acts as the fat carrier for absorption.
Behind this recipe
Is 902 calories too much for a salad?
This is a full lunch, not a side dish. Most of the energy comes from 48 g of fat (olive oil, feta, and pumpkin seeds) and 94 g of carbs (sweet potato, corn, apple, honey). If you eat three to four meals a day, 902 kcal as a main meal fits within range for most adults. The 15 g of fiber from the sweet potato, apple, and corn also means this bowl keeps you full longer than its calorie count alone would suggest.
Why boil the sweet potato instead of roasting it?
Boiling is faster (10 minutes vs 25 to 30 for roasting) and produces softer cubes that absorb the dressing better. A 2025 study testing seven home cooking methods also found that boiling retained the most beta-carotene in sweet potato, while air frying lost the most (p < 0.05). The olive oil in the dressing then provides the fat that helps your body absorb that beta-carotene.
Are pumpkin seeds worth adding or just a garnish?
More than a garnish. One ounce (28 g) of pumpkin seeds delivers roughly 150 mg of magnesium, about 36% of the daily value, plus zinc and a solid dose of unsaturated fat. Research has explored whether magnesium intake affects muscle soreness after training, which makes these seeds particularly relevant if you work out regularly.
Read the full evidence review
