A hearty and colourful Kale and Sweet Potato Salad tossed with apples, pecans, and a maple Dijon dressing. It's the perfect make-ahead option for holiday gatherings.
This Kale and Sweet Potato Salad is everything I want in a fall or holiday salad. It has all the festive flavours from the roasted sweet potatoes, maple sea salt pecans, crisp apples, creamy goat cheese, and a simple maple Dijon dressing. The mix of sweet, savoury, and crunchy makes it perfect for to bring to any holiday dinner.
I also love that this salad that can hold up in the fridge, just like my Thai Chopped Salad and Homemade Kale Crunch Salad! The kale stays sturdy, the apples stay crisp, and the flavours only get better as the dressing soaks in. It's ideal for prepping ahead for gatherings, weekday lunches, or any time you want a dish that will still taste amazing later!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Perfect for holidays. The flavours, colours, and textures make this salad a natural fit for Thanksgiving, Christmas, or any festive gathering.
- Easy to make ahead. The kale holds well, so you can prep the salad in advance and let the dressing soak in without it getting soggy.
- Fresh, colourful, and flavourful. With vibrant produce, sweet roasted elements, and a bright maple Dijon dressing, this salad is an easy crowd-pleaser every time!
Kale and Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Roasted sweet potatoes. For our roasted sweet potatoes were making them sweet and savoury with a blend of comforting cinnamon and maple syrup paired with cayenne and garlic powder.
Maple sea salt pecans. As the name suggests, for our toasted pecans were adding a blend of maple syrup and sea salt for the easiest candied pecan addition.
Kale. The salad base of choice when you need a non soggy salad- this salad will convert ANY kale hater!
Apples. I recommend using a sweet, crisp variety of apple such as honey crisp or gala!
Brown rice. The rice in this recipe is optional however it creates the base of a hearty salad that is satisfying and filling! I use Lundberg short grain brown rice!
Red onion. For flavour!
Goat cheese. A creamy cheese that pairs perfectly with the ingredients in this salad. If you prefer you can substitute feta cheese.
Dried cranberries. For added sweetness!
Maple Dijon dressing. An apple cider vinegar based dressing that brings this salad together wonderfully.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- To make the sweet potatoes: Preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. To the pan add sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- To make the maple sea salt pecans: add pecans to a pan over medium-high heat. Allow the pecans to cook for about 3-4 minutes, shaking consistently to lightly brown the pecans. While they are cooking, add a piece of parchment paper to a plate and have maple syrup and sea salt ready. Immediately after removing the pecans from the heat, add to the parchment paper lined plate, and toss with maple syrup and sea salt.
- To assemble the salad: Add kale to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and gently massage (this helps soften the kale).
- Make the dressing: In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and black pepper.
- Top kale with cooked brown rice, apples, red onion, goat cheese, dried cranberries, roasted sweet potato and pecans.
- Drizzle with the dressing. Toss to combine.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: This recipe is naturally gluten free as written, however I always recommend checking to ensure your rice is processed in a gluten free facility.
To make dairy-free: Swap the goat cheese for a creamy, vegan cheese option!
To make nut-free: The pecans in this recipe make this unsuitable for those with nut allergies, if you prefer a substitute I recommend using pumpkin seeds!
Equipment
Storage
This Kale and Sweet Potato Salad is great to be made ahead of time! I always try to use kale in my salad recipes that I want to last for multiple days because it does not get soggy! This salad will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
If you want to ensure your apples do not brown when stored, drizzle them with some lemon juice or soak them in salt water before adding
Top Tips for Success
When making salads I always recommend dicing/chopping everything as small as possible (INCLUDING the kale). This makes it easy to have a bite of everything in every bite creating a flavourful salad!
I also do not recommend skipping massaging the kale with olive oil- this is a key step in ensuring the kale is soft, and not bitter!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes of course! My thin baked chicken or crispy chicken would make amazing additions to this salad.
More Salad Recipes
If you liked this Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, try these recipes:
- Crunchy Kale Salad with Pomegranate
- Fall Harvest Pasta Salad
- Bang Bang Roasted Broccoli Salad
- Homemade Kale Crunch Salad
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these Kale and Sweet Potato Salad, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the roasted sweet potatoes:
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced into ½ inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
For the maple sea salt pecans:
- ½ cup pecan halves
- 2 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon flakey sea salt
For the salad:
- 1 bunch curly kale (about 8 cups), finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon olive oil
- 1 cup short grain brown rice, cooked according to package directions
- 2 medium apples, diced into ½ inch cubes
- ½ cup red onion, thinly sliced (about ½ of one)
- ¼ cup goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
For the maple dijon dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To make the sweet potatoes- preheat the oven to 400F and line a large sheet pan with parchment paper. To the pan add sweet potatoes and drizzle with olive oil, maple syrup, garlic powder, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and black pepper. Toss to coat. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until fork tender.
- To make the maple sea salt pecans- add pecans to a pan over medium- high heat. Allow the pecans to cook for about 3-4 minutes, shaking consistently to lightly brown the pecans. While they are cooking, add a piece of parchment paper to a plate and have maple syrup and sea salt ready. Immediately after removing the pecans from the heat, add to the parchment paper lined plate, and toss with maple syrup and sea salt.
- To assemble the salad- add kale to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and gently massage (this helps soften the kale).
- Make the dressing. In a bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk together olive oil, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder maple syrup, dijon mustard, salt and black pepper.
- Top kale with cooked brown rice, apples, red onion, goat cheese, dried cranberries, roasted sweet potato and pecans.
- Drizzle with the dressing. Toss to combine.
Nicole Addison says
A crowd pleaser! This is my favourite salad to bring to holiday gatherings- I hope you enjoy!