A fall-perfect kale salad with roasted sweet potatoes, spiced walnuts, and a tangy walnut vinaigrette-whether you serve it warm as a side or cool for tasty meal prep, this dish flexes beautifully to your needs.
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I have even added bacon and a runny egg to make a sweet potato and kale hash. It was a perfect weekend breakfast! I have made it for Thanksgiving dinner and then had the leftovers with sliced roast turkey.
It is hands down the most versatile fall recipe in my little arsenal of cooking goodness.
Looking at the recipe, you might think there are too many steps or ingredients. I promise it is way easier than it may appear. The entire recipe can be made while the sweet potatoes are roasting.
📖Why My Recipe Works
- Smoked paprika and a pinch of sugar give the walnuts a cozy vibe without being over-the-top sweet.
- Keeping with the walnut theme, I used walnut oil to give the salad dressing a bit of pizazz.
- Components can be prepped in advance and combined at mealtime.
🧾Ingredient Notes
- Kale- I used curly kale but baby kale and lacinato or Tuscan kale also work just as well.
- Sweet Potatoes- You can substitute yams, white potatoes, and even carrots.
- Walnuts- Try it with pecans or almonds for a twist. You can also use seeds like pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sunflower seeds.
- Walnut Oil- Walnut oil is the base for this dressing, and it is available in most grocery stores. If you can't find it, substitute 1 tablespoon of VERY finely chopped walnuts and ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil.
- Champagne Vinegar- You can substitute rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Honey- Substitute maple syrup for vegan. If you want to dress up the walnut dressing, you can use Fermented Garlic Honey in place of regular raw honey.
- Paprika- You might notice that I use both smoked and regular paprika. This is the smoky flavor from becoming overwhelming. You can use smoked paprika for both or neither, your kitchen, your call!
⏲️How to Make Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
- When roasting sweet potatoes, or any other vegetable, the trick is even-sized pieces and ensuring they are in a single layer on your rimmed baking sheet. I recommend a ½ inch cube because it roasts quickly and is bite sized.
- Roasting the walnuts only takes 6 to 8 minutes to roast, keep a close eye on them.
- Fold the kale and half, tightly grip the stem and pull off the leafy part. You can also use a knife to cut it oout.
- As soon as the dressing is done, I get it on the kale. The vinegar will break down the leaves. The kale becomes less bitter, and softens slightly but still has that crunch.
👩🏻🍳 Expert Tips
- If the kale tastes bitter, use your hands to massage it with a bit of the dressing-this breaks down its structure, reducing bitterness and enhancing texture.
- The sweet potatoes can be served cooled to room temperature or warm.
- If you want to add cheese, I suggest crumbled goat cheese or Boursin cheese.
- Try this salad with my honey mustard dressing or poppy seed dressing.
🌡️Storing Leftovers
Prep ahead by storing components separately-keep dressed kale, roasted potatoes, and walnuts in airtight containers.
Kale and potatoes last 3-5 days refrigerated; walnuts stay good at room temperature for up to a week. Just combine them when you're ready to enjoy.
🥗More Kale Salad Recipes
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📖 Recipe Card
Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 6 cups kale stems removed and chopped
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Spiced Walnuts
- 1 cup walnut pieces
- 2 teaspoon neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Walnut Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup walnut oil or olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Toss cubed sweet potatoes with melted coconut oil and spices. Spread out sweet potatoes on a sheet pan. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until fork tender (but not mushy) tossing halfway through. Cool to room temperature.2 medium sweet potatoes, 2 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted, ½ teaspoon paprika, ¼ teaspoon garlic powder, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
Spiced Walnuts
- Toss walnuts with melted coconut oil and spices. Spread out a small sheet pan. Add to the oven with the sweet potatoes. Bake 8 minutes, tossing halfway through.1 cup walnut pieces, 2 teaspoon neutral oil, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt, ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Walnut Vinaigrette
- Place all ingredients in a covered mason job and shake until combined. Salt and pepper to taste.¼ cup walnut oil, 2 Tablespoons champagne vinegar, 1 teaspoon honey, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
Salad Assembly
- In a large bowl, toss kale with dressing. Allow the kale to sit for 5 to 10 minutes to soften. To serve, top with cooled sweet potatoes and spiced walnuts.6 cups kale
Notes
- To serve warm, saute kale in coil for 3-5 minutes before dressing. Top with sweet potatoes and spiced walnuts. Serve immediately.
Nerissa says
I already made this 2x in the last 2 months. The first time was for a potluck that requested us to bring a salad. One of the women did comment that it was very good. The second time, I made it for Christmas at our house. My daughter said, Mom this is "bus". (high complement from my teen) Kale is not everyone's favorite, but this whole combination is really good. The dressing is yum. (note to self: reduce the vinegar) I made the walnut oil according to her directions because I didn't have walnut oil. I have no idea what the difference would have been but the dressing was "bus".
Beth says
Oh my goodness this looks so delicious and yummy! My husband and I are going to love this recipe! So excited!
Claudia says
Sweet potatoes and Kale? that a genius idea the pairing is perfect together
Nicolette says
Wow this salad is so fresh and delicious! I love the sweet potato addition to make it heartier!
Jen says
Thanks for giving it a try!
Sue says
I love this sweet potato and kale combination - I feel like the vitamins are jumping right off the plate to make me healthy!
Jen says
Yes comforting and healthy is the way we roll around here!