This Vegan Cilantro Pesto Sweet Potato Salad is a healthy and easy recipe made with clean, real food ingredients. It's the perfect plant-based side dish and the sweet potatoes can be prepared in the oven or an Instant Pot and the pesto can be made in about 5 minutes!
Here's Why This Recipe Works
My top 3 favorite reasons:
- Can Be Made in The Oven or with An Instant Pot
- Use Either Sweet Potatoes or White Potatoes
- Made With Clean, Real Food Ingredients
I posted my Vegan Cilantro Pesto recipe a couple of weeks ago and if you haven't had a chance to try it yet, this is a good recipe to use it with.
I've been trying to eat sweet potatoes and cilantro as often as I can because they are recommended as a thyroid healing food in the book by Anthony William, Medical Medium®: Thyroid Healing, and this recipe incorporates both.
It's really simple to make...while your cubed sweet potatoes are baking in the oven or cooked in an Instant Pot, you can make the Cilantro Pesto in a Vitamix in under 5 minutes and have it waiting to toss over the sweet potato cubes.
I normally just enjoy it plain (sweet potatoes + cilantro pesto), but you could also sprinkle organic hemp seeds on top to add a little protein.
My healthy plant-based recipe is made with clean, real food ingredients and is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, lectin-free, soy-free, paleo-friendly, and Medical Medium® Compliant.
Karielyn's Expert Tips + Ingredient Substitutions
Here are some of my expert tips to make this recipe perfectly:
Sweet Potatoes: You can make these in the oven or in an Instant Pot (see instructions in the recipe card for each below). In addition, they can be substituted with organic white potatoes.
Cilantro: Can be substituted with organic fresh basil in the same amount.
Avocado Oil: Can be substituted with high quality organic extra-virgin olive oil.
Pine Nuts: Can be substituted with another nut such as almonds or walnuts.
Garlic: Fresh garlic will give the best flavor and health benefits, but it can be substituted with organic ground garlic powder.
Himalayan Pink Salt: This is my salt of preference, however, it can always be substituted with sea salt.
Serving Size: This recipe will make (2) cups. Nutritional information is for (½) cup which is (1) serving.
Vegan Cilantro Pesto Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the sweet potatoes:
For the cilantro pesto:
Instructions
Prepare the sweet potatoes:
- Peel the sweet potatoes and cut them into small cubes. You will need 2 cups for this recipe.
OPTION 1: Cook the sweet potatoes (oven method):
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Prepare a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, then set aside.
- Spread the sweet potato cubes evenly onto the prepared cookie sheet.
- Sprinkle 1-2 pinches of Himalayan pink salt and ground black pepper over the sweet potato cubes.
- Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until they are soft.
OPTION 2: Cook the sweet potatoes (Instant Pot method):
- Add (1) cup of filtered/purified water to the Instant Pot and add the cubed sweet potatoes.
- Close the pressure valve on the lid and set it to PRESSURE COOK | HIGH for 5 minutes.
- Allow the sweet potatoes to pressure cook/steam release for an additional 15 minutes before removing the lid.
- Remove the sweet potatoes with a slotted spoon.
Prepare the cilantro pesto:
- While the sweet potatoes are baking, add all ingredients for the pesto (liquids first) to a Vitamix and blend until it's well combined, using the tamper if needed.
- Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference, then set aside.
Assembly:
- Once the sweet potatoes are ready (oven method or Instant Pot method), transfer them to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add the cilantro pesto to the bowl and gently toss until all the sweet potato cubes are covered in the pesto.
- Store in an air-tight BPA container in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Information
Copyright Notice
The instructions, notes, and photographs for this recipe by Karielyn Tillman of The Healthy Family and Home™ website are copyrighted material. This copyrighted work is protected and licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives 4.0 International License and the Digital Millenium Copyright Act (DMCA) and cannot be legally used without my written permission.
Want More Healthy Gluten-Free Vegan Potato Recipes?
Check out these:
- Vegan Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes
- Garlic and Shallot Fingerling Potatoes
- Spicy Turmeric Baked Potatoes
- or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with 75+ plant-based recipes made with clean, real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!
Did You Make This Recipe?
I'd love to hear about it! Please give it a rating and leave a comment below...it would make my day! 🙂
Amy says
Just made this recipe - and it is so good! Trying to stay within MM guidelines as much as possible, and these sweet potatoes are such a comforting delicious addition! Thank you!
Karielyn Tillman says
Hi Amy! Thanks for trying out my recipe! I think this one takes the sweet potatoes over the top with the flavorful cilantro pesto...made with clean ingredients!
Hope you browse around and try out more of my Medical Medium compliant recipes...I have many!
Thank you for taking the time to leave me feedback 🙂
Donald Maass says
Delicious and low-lectin, a family favorite in our house. The cubed sweet potato can be sized small or medium, with half-inch cubes probably the all-around best. We toss the cubes in olive oil and smoked paprika or cayenne (not too much) and bake them until brown around the edges, making the pesto while they cook. Good served warm or room temperature, a fabulous picnic substitute for boring old pasta or potato salad.
Karielyn Tillman says
Hi there Donald! I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed the recipe! I love the extra seasonings you added to it like the smoked paprika and cayenne (yum!).
Thanks so much for trying out my recipe and for taking the time to let me know how much you liked it...I sincerely appreciate it 🙂