Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Chris Cooks

Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes & Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

August 27, 2023

I love a good salad. No matter the time of year, a crisp salad with delicious toppings and a homemade dressing is always a good idea. I really wanted to make a salad to transition my tastebuds into fall while remaining delicious in summer. And so I did. This harvest salad is fresh and green, topped with roasted sweet potatoes, asparagus tips, and maple-glazed pecans. The maple bacon vinaigrette, which is the perfect balance of sweet and tart, is the cherry on top. It's just so, so good and would be great as a side, but totally satisfying as a main dish if you add a protein in.

Wood Serving Bowl | Wood Fork & Spoon (similar) | Bowl | Stoneware Bowls | Plaid Towel (similar)

Every time I cook bacon, I save and store the grease to use for later. This dish is no different. However, this time, we're turning around and using the rendered fat from the crispy bacon and using it for the glazed pecans. The bacon grease adds so much flavor to our pecans, so once you finish cooking your bacon, don't forget to set it aside.

Other prep work includes roasting the sweet potatoes, cooking the asparagus tips, and glazing the pecans, but I promise it's all worth it. I decided to add some leftover Salmon I had made for some added protein, which was delicious, but this would also be great with chicken or grilled pork.

In my opinion, homemade dressing is so underrated. Nine times out of ten, it's better than any store-bought dressing, and in reality, it doesn't take much time to mix up. This vinaigrette is sweet and tart and brings all the savory flavors of this salad together.

I'm dying for you to try this salad and I hope you let me know what you think.

Harvest Salad with Roasted Sweets & Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

Recipe by Chris Marcum
0.0 from 0 votes
Course: Main Course, Salad
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

0

minutes

This entree salad is a great transition from summer to fall, featuring roasted sweet potatoes, maple-glazed pecans, bacon, and a maple-bacon vinaigrette. It's so, so delicious.

Ingredients

Directions

  • Render the bacon
  • First render the bacon by cutting it into 1 inch squares and adding to a small pot on medium low heat. Stir every couple of minutes, slowly drawing out the liquid and cooking it off until the fat renders out and the bacon begins to fry. Once the bacon has darkened, remove into a bowl lined with paper towel to drain. Set the bacon grease aside.
  • Roast the sweet potatoes
  • Add a roasting pan to the oven and preheat at 425. In a bowl toss together the roasted sweet potato ingredients. Once the oven comes to temperature let the pan heat for an additional 5 minutes. Add the seasoned sweet potatoes to the pan and cook for 15-20 minutes until tender and browning develops. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool slightly.
  • Cook the asparagus
  • Bring 3 cups of water to a boil. Add 1 tbsp of salt and stir to dissolve. Add the asparagus and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove to a strainer and hit with cold water to stop the cooking. Cover with ice and set aside.
  • Glaze the pecans
  • In a small sauté pan over medium heat add the pecans, along with the bacon grease. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently to prevent burning. Add the sage and cook for another 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently. Add the maple syrup and toss to coat. Cook for another minute then remove to a baking sheet or some tin foil to cool.
  • Make the dressing
  • Make the dressing by whisking the dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth. Adjust salt, pepper, vinegar, and syrup levels to taste.
  • Assemble the salad
  • In a large bowl add the greens, topped with the bacon, cherry tomatoes, asparagus, thin-sliced shallots, roasted sweet potatoes, glazed pecans, and additional protein of choice (if desired). Top with as much of the vinaigrette as desired and toss to coat evenly. Enjoy at room temperature.
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Sales

The Best Presidents' Day Sales: Home, Tech, Apparel & More

We're halfway through February, and the first big sale weekend of the year is here! You know we love curating the best Presidents' Day sales for you in one spot. (It makes my life easier too when I want to check my favorite retailers!) It's a big deal weekend for major appliances, tech devices, and […]
Design

7 Things You Probably Shouldn't Have in Your House—If You're a Perfectionist

While I don't consider myself a perfectionist, I do like things neat—most of the time. It's important to me that my home is beautiful and lived in. I want it filled with laughter, joy, and life. If that means a few nicks and spills? That's fine with me. Even so, over the years of home […]
Design

Let's Get Started: Our Primary Bathroom Layout Plans and Elevations!

It is time. No more false starts. We're diving head first into our primary bathroom renovation and taking you along for the entire thing. We've heard your fears--"you're going to renovate your bathroom and then move!" And while we have done that in the past two houses, (strange scenarios and had nothing to do with […]
Chris Cooks

The Perfect Valentine's Day Menu for Every Meal of the Day

As homebodies, making a delicious Valentine's Day dinner at home is usually more enjoyable than a romantic dinner out somewhere. It can be part of the fun—and entertainment—to cook together too. Jules would probably opt out of the actual cooking part...but hey, it's great to have time together chatting while I'm cooking, and she's hanging […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2025 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES