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Roasted sweet potato and kale salad with chickpeas and creamy tahini dressing is anything but boring. It’s loaded with flavor, nutrients & is a delicious meat-free side or main!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This year, I’ve become obsessed with pulling together salads of every variation of my favorite ingredients. I’ve already shared roasted sweet potato spinach salad, roasted beet and kale salad, kale quinoa chickpea salad, and, now, this roasted sweet potato and kale salad (with chickpeas!).
The combination of earthy kale, creamy garlicky chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, and caramelized roasted sweet potatoes tossed in a creamy yet light lemon tahini-based salad dressing is delicious, loaded with essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and antioxidants, and satisfying.
Best of all, this creamy kale and sweet potato salad is easy to make, versatile, make-ahead friendly, can be enjoyed warm or cold, and offers a satisfying blend of flavors and textures. Plus, despite using ingredients associated with fall, this vibrant salad is perfect year-round.
You might also like strawberry kale salad, easy apple pecan salad, or lentil chickpea salad!
The Ingredients and Substitutes
Please refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
What Could I Add to Sweet Potato Kale Salad?
- Spices: Smoked paprika, cumin, chili flakes, chili powder, or cayenne powder can add more flavor to the roasted potato (or dressing).
- Sweetener: Add just a touch to the dressing (maple syrup/agave), if preferred.
- Alternative dressing: Like vegan ‘honey’ mustard or basic balsamic vinaigrette.
- Avocado: Diced or sliced to add creaminess and heart-healthy fats.
- Apple (or pear): Slices or matchsticks for sweet-tart flavor and crisp texture.
- Pomegranate (or raisins): For juicy, sweet-tart flavor, chew, and color.
- Quinoa: Add cooked quinoa for a heartier salad. Similar ingredients, like wild rice, barley, farro, or bulgur, also work in this kale sweet potato tahini salad. Check out this complete guide to quinoa to learn more.
- Vegan feta: Tofu feta cheese (or vegan goat cheese) adds tangy, salty, creaminess.
- Beets: Golden/red beets roasted with the potato for color, flavor, and nutrients.
- Onion: Roasted with the sweet potato for extra flavor.
- Nuts/seeds: Like pepitas, sunflower seeds, or pistachios, raw or toasted.
How to Make Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
Step 1: Peheat the oven to 425F/220C. Transfer the chopped sweet potatoes to the tray, add 2 tbsp oil, plus salt and pepper, and toss well. Roast for 20-25 minutes, or until fork-tender with crispy edges, flipping after 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Step 2: Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once hot, sauté the garlic for 30 seconds, then add the chickpeas and sauté until golden. Set aside to cool.
Alternatively, cut down prep by roasting the chickpeas with the sweet potato.
Step 3: Next, in a small bowl or jar, combine the tahini with a splash of hot water, then add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, and the juice of two lemons and mix well. Stir in the parsley and add extra water, if needed, to achieve a creamy yet runny dressing consistency.
Step 4: To assemble the roasted sweet potato kale salad, first combine the kale with half the dressing, massing it with your hands until the leaves are tender.
Step 5: Add the tomatoes (halved) and chickpeas and toss well. Finally, top with the roasted sweet potato and serve with extra dressing on the side. Enjoy.
For the best flavor, leave the kale to ‘marinate’ with the dressing for 15 minutes before serving.
FAQs
Yes, that should work fine. You could even sauté the kale with the chickpeas, if preferred like I do for my kale garbanzo bean salad recipe.
This kale salad with sweet potato and chickpeas is hearty and filling enough to enjoy on its own or as a smaller portion alongside a protein (like quick pan-fried tofu), soup, a sandwich, or on your Thanksgiving table (check out these 45 Vegan Thanksgiving recipes).
Pro Recipe Tips
- To save time: You may be able to find pre-chopped/shredded kale, though it can contain tough stem, in my experience. You could also roast the chickpeas with the sweet potato for extra crispy texture.
- Massage the kale: This transforms the leaves from tough and fibrous to tender and easier to digest.
- Adjust the shape: I cut ‘fry-like’ sweet potato sticks this time, but you could cut bite-sized cubes instead.
- Cut the sweet potato evenly: So it roasts evenly, too.
Storage Instructions
To meal-prep kale sweet potato salad, store the kale, other salad ingredients, and dressing separately for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. Then, assemble (including massaging the kale) before serving. Once assembled, store leftovers for 2-3 days.
You can also freeze the roasted sweet potato and garlic sauteed chickpeas for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before serving/reheating.
Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil divided
- ½ teaspoon of salt
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 (15-ounce) can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
- ¼ cup of tahini (high-quality, like Soom)
- Hot water to taste
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar
- 2 lemons (add zest for more flavor)
- ¼ cup of parsley minced
- 5 cups of shredded kale
- 1 pint of cherry tomatoes halved
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. and line a large baking sheet with a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Slice the sweet potatoes into 1/2-inch-wide sticks and place them on the baking sheet. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and sprinkle salt and pepper. Roast for 10 minutes, flip them, and roast for another 10 minutes or until slightly charred. When ready, remove them from the oven and set aside to cool.
- In a medium pan over medium heat, heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the garlic, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chickpeas and cook until the garlic is golden. Set aside.
- In a small jar, mix the tahini and a splash of hot water to loosen up the tahini. Add salt, pepper, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, and the juice of 2 lemons, Mix well until fully combined. Add the parsley and mix. Add more water to reach a runny but creamy consistency. Set aside.
- In a large salad bowl, mix the kale and half of the dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale for about one minute.
- Mix in the tomatoes and chickpeas. Top with the sweet potato and serve with more dressing on the side.
Notes
- To save time: You may be able to find pre-chopped/shredded kale, though it can contain tough stem, in my experience. You could also roast the chickpeas with the sweet potato for extra crispy texture.
- Massage the kale: This transforms the leaves from tough and fibrous to tender and easier to digest.
- Adjust the shape: I cut ‘fry-like’ sweet potato sticks this time, but you could cut bite-sized cubes instead.
- Cut the sweet potato evenly: So it roasts evenly, too.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
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