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This crunchy roasted sweet potato kale salad is drizzled with a wonderfully fresh and light vinaigrette and topped with nutty pecans and creamy goat cheese. It makes a great quick and easy meal or light lunch and it is so healthy and flavorful!
Currently, this is my favorite salad for fall! Of course, I LOVE any kale salad but a kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes is just the best, simple combination that TOTALLY WORKS and is so FLAVORFUL!
My mom actually said it was one of her favorites and she is not the biggest fan of KALE! It is just so easy to make and it has the perfect balance of crunchy, creamy elements that give it great texture and flavor. Plus the crispy, roasted sweet potatoes make this salad even more DELICIOUS!
Why you’ll love this incredible kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes
- It is loaded with flavor and nutrition!
- You can easily top it with grilled chicken or salmon for a simple and easy weeknight meal.
- It is colorful, fresh, and packed with plant-based protein and fiber! – like this Virla Jen Aniston Salad.
- The perfect balance of texture and flavor!
- It stores great, which makes it ideal for meal prepping.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
You only need a few simple ingredients to make the delicious kale sweet potato salad. Here is what you’ll need:
- Kale – I used Tuscan kale but curly kale will also work.
- Sweet potatoes – about 2 medium sweet potatoes. You can buy store-bought, pre-cut sweet potatoes as a shortcut.
- Quinoa – cooked, cooled quinoa adds a nice nutty flavor as well as some plant-based protein.
- Red onion – shallots will also work.
- Pecans – for a nice nutty flavor and texture. You could also use almonds or walnuts.
- Goat cheese – crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese. You can also leave it out to make this recipe dairy-free.
- Golden raisins – raisins, dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds work great.
- Dressing ingredients – Olive oil, maple syrup, dijon mustard, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil for roasting the potatoes.
- Salt & pepper – to season the potatoes and the dressing.
How to make a roasted sweet potato kale salad
Be sure to check out the recipe card below for the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition.
- Roast the sweet potatoes – Season and roast the sweet potatoes at 425 °F for 25-30 minutes. Per the recipe card below.
- Prepare the kale – Place the kale into a large bowl, drizzle it with a little bit of olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper and massage it for 1-2 minutes with your fingers to break it down a little.
- Mix the Vinaigrette – Combine the dressing ingredients in a bowl or mason jar, and mix well to emulsify.
- Assemble the salad – Add the roasted sweet potatoes along with the rest of the salad ingredients to the bowl with the kale and toss.
- Dress, toss, and serve – Pour the dressing onto the salad and toss. It’s crazy good!
The lemon dijon dressing makes this kale sweet potato salad so irresistable and it will be the one you will want to make over and over again!
Recipe Tips
- For the best flavor, use whole sweet potatoes and clean and chop them yourself, then season and roast them. Precut, store-bought sweet potatoes work fine but are not always as flavorful.
- Roast the sweet potatoes until they are golden around the edges. They are so good.
- Make sure you rinse the kale well, then massage it for 1-2 minutes to get it nice and tender, and soft before you combine it with the rest of the ingredients.
- You can make the quinoa 1-2 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
Delicious Salad add-in’s
- Chicken: Leftover diced or shredded chicken breast would be a great addition to this salad.
- Bacon: Some cooked, chopped bacon would add a nice salty, crunchy flavor that would go great with the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Avocado: Diced avocado would add a nice creaminess, plus even more nutrition.
- Fruit: Chopped apples or pears would also be great!
Ways to Serve Sweet Potato Kale Salad
This kale salad is so good all on its own but it also makes a great healthy side dish with other main dishes. Here are a few mains that we like to pair this salad with.
FAQs
To shred kale for a salad you need to wash it first and dry it really well on a clean kitchen towel or you can run it through a salad spinner. Then remove the stems, and chop the kale leaves thinly using a sharp kitchen knife. You can also pulse it a few times in a food processor for more finely shredded kale.
Prepared kale will last for about 2 days in the fridge. This is one of the great things about kale. Which makes it a great option for meal prep.
Leftovers of this salad already assembled and dressed can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The nuts may become slightly softer but this salad will still taste great!
Make ahead tips
- You can prepare the kale in advance by washing it, drying it, removing the stems, and chopping the leaves. Then store it wrapped in some dry paper towels in a ziplock bag for up to 2-3 days before you make this salad.
- The quinoa can also be made in advance since you want to use cooked, cooled quinoa in this salad.
- You can also mix up the dressing and store it in a mason jar fitted tightly with a lid in the refrigerator for up to 2 days in advance.
More Kale Salad Recipes
- Kale Quinoa Salad
- Easy Kale Salad With Lemon
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Shaved Brussel Sprout Kale Salad
- Kale and Strawberry Salad
Did you try this kale sweet potato salad? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. I would love to hear how it turned out!
Print
Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 6–8 servings 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Kale Roasted Sweet Potato Salad is packed full of crunchy veggies like kale, and red onion mixed with perfectly roasted sweet potatoes, nutty pecans, creamy goat cheese, and dried cranberries. Drizzled with a tangy, sweet dijon dressing that makes it wonderfully tasty and packed with flavor.
Ingredients
For the sweet potato kale salad
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (peeled and diced into 1-inch cubes)
- 1–2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bunches of kale (washed and massaged)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa – cooled
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup chopped pecans
- ¼ cup diced red onion
- ¼ cup crumbled goat cheese
For the dijon dressing
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Roast the sweet potatoes
- Preheat oven to 425°F degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the diced sweet potatoes to a medium-sized mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil onto the potatoes, sprinkle salt and pepper, and toss to coat. Pour the sweet potatoes onto the baking sheet in a single layer and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Remove and let cool for a few minutes.
Make the dressing
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a small bowl or mason jar and mix well to emulsify.
Assemble and dress the salad
- Add the massaged kale to a salad bowl or platter, and top with the cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, red onion, pecans, cranberries, and goat cheese.
- Pour on the dressing, toss lightly, and serve.
Notes
- Massage the kale before buidling the salad for better results. This helps break down the kale and make it softer and more delicious. To do this, add the chopped kale to a large bowl, drizzle it with olive oil and pinch of salt and massage it with your hands or salad tongs for 1-2 minutes.
- To store this salad: Place ingredients into separate containers and assemble and dress the salad when ready to eat.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Healthy Salads
- Method: Tossed
- Cuisine: American
Amy, this looks delicious!
Thank you so much! It’s my new favorite salad!
This is by far the best and tastiest kale salad and even better the next day. Yummy!
Thank you!
Super delicious! The best kale salad I’ve ever eaten!
Thank you, Kim! I am so glad you liked it! It is one of my favorites.
The combination of the different textures and colors from the ingredients was outstanding. I didn’t have all of the ingredients from the recipe on hand so made substitutions; Used raisins, walnuts and blue cheese. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kim, I am so happy you liked it!
My go-to fall lunch salad for the week. This is fabulous, thanks for sharing your recipe. I added some cinnamon when roasting the sweet potatoes and it added even more of a fall vibe.
Thank you Jennifer! I love the addition of cinnamon with the sweet potatoes.