This Sweet Potato Kale salad is the perfect autumnal salad filled with all the warm flavors of fall! It's a kale based salad which makes this one of the few salads you can actually make 30 minutes in advance which makes it perfect for fall nights filled with pumpkin carving, decorating, and even perfect for the Thanksgiving table!
What's in a Sweet Potato Kale Salad?
This Sweet Potato Kale Salad is loaded up with delicious flavors! I like to add a lot of toppings in my salad so you get a little something in every bite!
The main star in this salad is definitely the sweet potato and chickpeas! They are spiced with cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and a little chili powder. It gives them a subtle smokiness that brings out the warmth in the sweet potato! Side note: these potatoes are also really delicious as vegetarian tacos too!
To balance out the salad, I add in pepita seeds for crunch, dried cranberries for sweetness, and avocado for creaminess.
This salad is hearty enough to be a full dinner with a side of crusty bread and a glass of wine! It can serve 2 for dinner or 4-6 as a side salad! And did I mention that it's beautiful for the Thanksgiving table?!
Honey Mustard Dressing
One of my favorite things to make is a homemade dressing. I always feel so fancy when I whip out my mason jar and start adding in my ingredients. Typing that out, I realize that it's really not that fancy... But that's okay; it makes me feel that way and I love it!
Making your own dressing is actually really easy and adds so much flavor to your salads. This dressing is a mixture of olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and some honey! I like to add some salt and pepper, and I always add garlic to anything savory! Garlic is like the vanilla of the baking world! Always add more!
This dressing has the perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess which pairs perfectly with the kale and sweet potato!
If you don't feel like making your own dressing, store-bought works totally fine! I use a store-bought honey mustard that's equally as delicious in this salad!
Tips and Tricks
The number one trick to making a kale salad delicious is to massage the dressing into the kale first. Kale can be a little stiff and has some bitter notes to it. I like to add my chopped kale into a bowl, then pour over about a ⅓ of the dressing. Then I use my hands to gently rub the dressing into the kale. I do this for about a minute, then let the kale sit for about 10 minutes.
Usually, I'll make the salad about halfway through cooking dinner that way the salad can sit while I'm finishing up dinner. The dressing helps the kale soften slightly to give it a better texture and helps reduce the bitterness that kale can have!
The other tip I have for making any kind of salad is to experiment with whatever toppings you'd like to add! I love to add avocado, pepitas, and dried cranberries to this salad, but you can add whatever flavors you like best! I think salads are fun because you can play around with them to get whatever flavors you like best.
Ingredient List
- Potatoes
- Chickpeas
- Avocado
- Dried Cranberries
- Pepita Seeds
- Cumin
- Paprika
- Garlic Powder
- Onion Powder
- Chili Powder
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- Olive Oil
- Honey
- Dijon Mustard
- Garlic Clove
- Apple Cider Vinegar
I make this salad practically every week for dinner! It's so hearty with the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, but still light enough that it makes the perfect side salad! The colors are so rich and vibrant with the orange sweet potatoes, the red cranberries and the deep green kale. It's the perfect representation of fall in a bowl!
Cheers!
-Holly Michelle
P.S. Need a sweet treat after your salad? Me too! Try out these Pumpkin S'mores Cookies!
Sweet Potato Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bag Chopped Kale
- 2 Sweet Potatoes peeled and chopped
- 1 can Chickpeas drained
- 1 Avocado
- ½ cup Dried Cranberries
- ½ cup Pepita Seeds
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika
- ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder
- ½ teaspoon Onion Powder
- ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- 2 tablespoons Olive Oil
Honey Mustard Dressing:
- ⅓ cup Olive Oil
- 3 tablespoons Honey
- 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 Garlic Clove grated
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and chop sweet potatoes into 1 inch cubes.2 Sweet Potatoes
- Add to a sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil.2 tablespoons Olive Oil
- In a small bowl, mix together, cumin, paprika, garlic power, onion powder, chili powder, salt and pepper.2 teaspoons Cumin, 1 ½ teaspoons Paprika, ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder, ½ teaspoon Onion Powder, ¼ teaspoon Chili Powder, ½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
- Sprinkle about ⅔'s of the seasoning mixture over the sweet potatoes and stir together.
- Bake in the oven for 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes roast, drain and rinse the chickpeas.1 can Chickpeas
- After the 15 minutes are up, add the chickpeas to the sheet pan, sprinkle with the remaining seasoning mixture and stir using a spatula.
- Place bake in the oven for another 15 minutes.
- Add the kale to a large bowl. Drizzle in about 3 tablespoons of dressing. Gently massage the dressing into the kale and let sit while the potatoes and chickpeas finish roasting.1 bag Chopped Kale
- When the sweet potatoes are done and fork-tender, let them cool slightly.
- To prepare the salad, add the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to the kale. Cut up the avocado and add to the top of the salad.1 Avocado
- Sprinkle in the dried cranberries and the pepita seeds.½ cup Dried Cranberries, ½ cup Pepita Seeds
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Honey Mustard Dressing:
- In a mason jar, combine olive oil, honey, dijon mustard, the grated garlic, apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper.⅓ cup Olive Oil, 3 tablespoons Honey, 3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard, 1 Garlic Clove, 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar, Salt and Pepper
- Shake to combine.
- Store in the fridge for about a week. The dressing might separate while it sets so be sure to give it a good shake before serving!
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