Kale and Sweet Potato Salad

5 from 1 vote

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.

Prep Time40

Cook Time30

Total Time1 10

Course: Appetizer, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kale Salad, salads

Servings:

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.

Notes

*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition

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