Kale Sweet Potato Salad (Oil-Free)
This satisfying and flavorful Kale Sweet Potato Salad will blow your mind. It’s loaded with goodies like roasted sweet potatoes, massaged kale, sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, crunchy bell peppers, refreshing cucumber, and more. This entree salad will delight your palate and satisfy your hunger like no other.
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It sounds like a total cliché but I LOVE salad. I have even since before going WFPB (whole food, plant-based).
Salads are one of my go-to meals to cram in a lot of nutrients for a low amount of calories. And they can vary so much, you never have to make the same salad twice (unless you want to!). Though honestly, this kale salad with sweet potatoes is one I make on repeat.
I love adding a warm, cooked element to a cold salad. While it does slightly warm the salad and make it more enjoyable in the colder months, it also satisfies me more. I love having that warm starchy element from items like cooked sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes), warmed beans and/or lentils, baked tofu or tempeh, roasted winter squash, or cooked grains. Though they aren’t starchy, sometimes I even add cooked mushrooms to my salad!
The flavors in this kale sweet potato salad are also amazing. It’s the perfect combination of sweet and savory with a little hint of nuttiness from the walnuts (but there will be substitutions for those, I promise!). And that crunch! So much crunchy goodness, but also some nice softer textures from the sweet potatoes and kidney beans.
I really do believe you’re going to love this kale salad with sweet potatoes. Keep reading for all kinds of suggestions for customizing your entree salad.
Ingredients
See the recipe card below for the full ingredients list (with amounts) and instructions.
Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Fresh Kale: I prefer to buy mine by the bunch, as I don’t include the stems in my salad. In this particular recipe, I used red kale, but you can use curly/Tuscan kale, Lacinato (dino) kale, or even baby kale if you prefer.
- Red Cabbage: I mostly add shredded red cabbage for the nutrients, but it also adds great crunch!
- Arugula: I love the fresh peppery bite the arugula gives the salad. I use a smaller amount of arugula than kale so it doesn’t overwhelm the salad.
- Sweet Potatoes: We’ll chop and roast these while we prepare the rest of the salad. I love the sweetness in contrast with the rest of the salad! Feel free to use any variety of sweet potato such as red sweet potato, Japanese sweet potato, etc. Note that purple sweet potatoes seem to dry out more in the oven, so I recommend steaming those instead.
- Grated Carrots: You can buy pre-shredded carrots if you don’t want to grate yours.
- Red Onion: This provides a slightly sweet, slightly spicy crunchy element in our salad.
- Seedless Cucumber: I prefer seedless cucumbers (they do have seeds, they’re just much softer and easier to eat than regular cucumber seeds) and they have a much thinner skin you don’t need to peel!
- Red, Orange, or Yellow Bell Pepper: Bell peppers are crunchy and sweet additions to a salad, so I always include them. I prefer red, orange, or yellow bell peppers because they are sweeter than green bell peppers and also provide other nutrients like flavonoids.
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes: I try to look for the medley (multi-colored) tomatoes but any will work.
- Walnuts: This is optional, but I like to add a few (I do 2 for me, 4 for my partner who can eat more than me) walnuts into my salad. I love the flavor and crunch, plus what they offer nutritionally. Some vitamins are fat soluble so a few omega-packed walnuts can help you absorb your nutrients from your salad.
- Kidney Beans: I love cold or warm beans in my salad. They offer texture, satiety, and extra fiber (the more the better!).
Creamy Hummus Dressing
- Creamy Hummus: I highly recommend using homemade hummus (such as my Butter Bean Hummus or other hummus recipes, coming soon) since you can control exactly what goes in it and how it tastes! Store bought hummus should also work fine.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Choose one you enjoy! I particularly love flavored vinegars like anything from California Balsamic or for an in-store option, I really like the Acid League Blueberry Pomegranate Living Balsamic. I often use California Balsamic Lemon Vinegar or Fig Balsamic in my salad dressing.
- Dijon Mustard: I don’t really like any other kind of mustard, but you should use one that you like. I recommend trying this with Dijon if you like it, since the sweetness goes really well with the hummus and vinegar flavors.
- Dried Thyme or Dried Oregano: These are my go-to choices for herbs in this dressing.
- Black Pepper: I always recommend fresh ground black pepper over buying ground. The flavor is completely different in my opinion. I started using an electric pepper mill because with a mild disability in my hand, I have a hard time using a manual one. It’s become very useful!
- Cold Filtered Water: To thin the dressing, as needed.
Substitutions
- Kale: You’re welcome to use whatever greens you enjoy. Spinach is a healthy leafy green that’s much more mild than kale if you prefer. You can also use romaine, butter lettuce, anything you like.
- Red Cabbage: Feel free to swap the red cabbage for green cabbage, or napa cabbage if you like a less aggressive crunch. Or omit if you prefer!
- Arugula: If you don’t like arugula, add spinach or any other green you do like. Or if you love the pepperiness of arugula, try watercress for a more intense version.
- Sweet Potatoes: You can use regular potatoes if you prefer. If I’m making potatoes for my salad, I usually pre-steam them in my Instant Pot (or on the stovetop)
- Carrots: I love the sweetness the carrots add, but parsnips, beets, or radishes are other vegetables that are lovely when grated. You could also try some thinly sliced fennel.
- Red Onion: Shallot is also a nice option! For a milder taste, try sweet onion or green onions for the lightest onion flavor. Feel free to omit if you don’t like onion in your salad.
- Seedless Cucumber: While regular cucumber will work, you may to seed and peel it depending on your personal preferences. Persian cucumbers are also a nice option! If you don’t like cucumber, try zucchini, yellow squash, or another mild tasting vegetable you enjoy.
- Red, Orange, or Yellow Bell Pepper: Mini bell peppers are also a nice option. If you don’t like bell peppers, try chopped sugar snap peas for some sweetness.
- Grape or Cherry Tomatoes: I don’t like using larger tomatoes in salad because they are not as sweet and can be a little bit more watery. But you can certainly use what you have on hand. If you cannot eat tomatoes, leave them out and the salad will still be delicious.
- Walnuts: If you cannot have tree nuts, try some ground flaxseed, hulled hemp seed, raw sunflower seeds, or raw pumpkin seeds in your salad. All will be delicious, but the latter I listed will give you a nice crunch. Flaxseed should always be ground before consuming for better digestion and absorption. I keep my flaxseed in the freezer for freshness and grind it daily in my spice grinder.
- Kidney Beans: Swap out any other beans you like. Black beans or chick peas would be excellent. You could also roast or air fry your chickpeas (recipe coming soon!) to make little croutons! Other great protein options for your salad include cooked lentils, baked tofu or baked tempeh. All of these options are great chilled or warmed as well.
- Creamy Hummus: You can use storebought hummus or another type of dip you enjoy as the base for the salad dressing. Of course, you’re welcome to use any salad dressing with my kale sweet potato salad. This is just a dressing I love and feel goes well with it.
- Balsamic Vinegar: You can also use another vinegar you like, such as apple cider vinegar.
- Dijon Mustard: Feel free to omit the mustard if you don’t like it. You could add a tablespoon of maple syrup or date paste instead and that would be quite delicious.
- Dried Oregano or Thyme: You can use any dried or fresh herbs you like! Parsley is particularly nutritious.
- Black Pepper: Don’t skip unless you hate it! Adds a lovely tiny kick to the dressing.
- Other Ingredients: This is YOUR kale sweet potato salad, so feel free to add anything you like (or omit/replace anything you don’t like)!
How to Make Kale Sweet Potato Salad
Watch me make this salad or follow the step-by-step instructions below.
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Chop cruciferous vegetables: Chop your washed and dried or spun (I use a salad spinner) kale, cabbage, and arugula first so they can work their sulforaphane magic. I now chop my greens and cabbage using a mezzaluna knife and wooden bowl from Holland Boll Mill, but if you don’t have one of those, a knife and chopping board will work just fine.
- Massage the greens: This is an optional step, but it does make the kale more palatable if you’re not a fan. Add a tablespoon or two of a balsamic vinegar you enjoy to the greens and massage them with your hands for 3 minutes, making sure to really work the fibers of the greens (it’s fine if you already mixed the greens and cabbage together). Concentrate on the fibers of the kale, this will help soften it and make it less bitter and hard to chew. Since I chop my kale pretty finely, I no longer take this step, but it was THE thing that helped me learn to enjoy kale, and it’s now my favorite leafy green!
- Prep sweet potatoes: Wash and dice your sweet potatoes in a small 1/2-inch dice. No need to peel them, there’s a lot of nutrition in sweet potato skin! Add the diced sweet potatoes to your lined baking tray. Place them on the center rack of your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Note that how long they take to bake depends on the strength of your oven, how small you cut the sweet potatoes, etc. So you may want to check them earlier. Sweet potatoes are done when a fork easily pierces one of the cubes.
- Chop remaining vegetables: While your sweet potatoes cook, you can chop your remaining vegetables. I like to dice most vegetables, though I have a few I do something different to. Carrots I usually peel and grate with a box grater. Grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) I usually halve or quarter depending on their size.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, jar, or measuring cup (I always make dressings in a glass measuring cup because I watched my mom do it when I was growing up!), add the hummus, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Whisk to combine with a small whisk or a fork. Thin it out with cold filtered water. Start with a little, whisk, and add more if needed until you reach the desired consistency. Add in any other flavorings you like, more vinegar, maple syrup or date paste, etc. Whatever you like! I added in dried oregano (thyme is also great) and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Dress the salad: When the sweet potatoes are almost done (or done) and you’re ready to serve, add the dressing to the salad and toss well with salad tongs or forks. Toss until all the salad looks dressed. Taste and adjust if necessary.
- Complete the salad: I like to divide my salad before I add my starches so I can control how much starch I get and how much my partner gets (as they eat more than I do). I measure out my portion of the sweet potatoes (about ¼ to ⅓ of the pan), and my portion of kidney beans (about ½ a cup). I also do only two walnuts for myself and 5 for my partner since they can eat more fat grams than I can and still lose weight! Yeesh!
- Serve: Since the salad is dressed, I recommend serving immediately. If you don’t want to eat the salad right away, I wouldn’t dress it until I was ready to serve it.
Expert Tips
- Use Any Greens: Hey, if you don’t like kale (and you’ve tried massaging it with lemon or vinegar, because that REALLY helps), don’t use it. Try other greens until you find one you do like. Baby greens available in plastic tubs like baby spinach, baby kale, baby arugula, or even those “power greens” blends are all great choices for this salad.
- Wash and Dry Greens: It’s REALLY important to wash and dry your greens, even if you buy organic! I often buy organic greens and find dead (or sometimes live!) bugs and dirt. So please do not skip washing your greens! I don’t dry mine thoroughly if I’m about to eat them (dry thoroughly though if storing in the fridge before eating, otherwise moisture makes greens wilt and decay faster), but I always put them through my beloved salad spinner to get off the excess water.
- Size It Up or Down As Needed: Cooking for a big crowd? Double the recipe easily as long as you have a big enough bowl (or multiple bowls)! Don’t eat as huge of salads as my partner and I do? Halve the recipe easily. Or even quarter it. Once dressed, salad does not keep well, so only make as much as you would like to eat.
- Swap Out the Starch: I love kale salad with sweet potatoes, but it’s also delicious with regular potatoes, more beans (or lentils), cooked grains like quinoa or oat groats, or even cooked whole grain pasta! Use a starch that you like.
- Chop Finely: The more you chop up the salad, the easier it is to chew and digest, which means less stomach discomfort. I also highly recommend eating your salad slowly, making sure to take the time to chew thoroughly. This not only increases nutrient absorption but makes it easier to digest later. If you’re new to eating a lot of roughage, it will take some time to get used to.
Serving Suggestions
The great thing about this meal is it is so varied and loaded, you don’t really need an appetizer OR a side. This kale sweet potato salad IS the meal!
But if you want to serve a smaller portion of it with, say, a soup, my potato and cauliflower soup would go perfectly! Or try my Portobello pizzas!
I highly recommend serving this salad with a large glass of water, though!
Kale Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
Kale Sweet Potato Salad
Equipment
- 1 Chef's knife Sharp is best
- 1 Mezzaluna knife and wooden chopping bowl optional, from Holland Bowl Mill (just what I use, but a cutting board and knife also work)
- 1 Vegetable peeler for the carrots
- 1 Box or hand grater for the carrots
- 1 Large bowl for mixing the salad
- 1 Bowl, jar, or measuring cup for mixing the dressing
- 1 Whisk or fork for mixing the dressing
- 1 pair Salad tongs or use a fork
- 1 Salad spinner really useful for washing and drying greens
Ingredients
Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, washed, diced, and roasted or steamed
- 1 bunch kale, washed, dried, chopped (stems removed) (I used red kale)
- 1/2 cup red cabbage, shredded
- 2 cups arugula, roughly chopped
- 1/2 – 1 cup carrots, grated or shredded
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced (sweet onion or green onion are good too)
- 1 seedless cucumber, diced
- 1 red, orange, or yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
- 2-4 walnuts, chopped (amount depends on your goals. Substitute ground flax or hemp seeds if you can't have nuts)
- 1 cup kidney beans or chickpeas, add more or less depending on how many servings you need
Creamy Hummus Dressing
- 1/3 – 1/2 cup creamy hummus, homemade, such as my butter bean hummus, or store bought
- 2-3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, choose one you enjoy
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, or any herb you like
- Black pepper, to taste
- Cold filtered water to thin, as needed
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit (200 degrees Celsius) and line a rimmed baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
- Chop cruciferous vegetables: Chop your washed and dried or spun (I use a salad spinner) kale, cabbage, and arugula first so they can work their sulforaphane magic. I now chop my greens and cabbage using a mezzaluna knife and wooden bowl from Holland Boll Mill, but if you don't have one of those, a knife and chopping board will work just fine.
- Massage the greens: This is an optional step, but it does make the kale more palatable if you're not a fan. Add a tablespoon or two of a balsamic vinegar you enjoy to the greens and massage them with your hands for 3 minutes, making sure to really work the fibers of the greens (it's fine if you already mixed the greens and cabbage together). Concentrate on the fibers of the kale, this will help soften it and make it less bitter and hard to chew. Since I chop my kale pretty finely, I no longer take this step, but it was THE thing that helped me learn to enjoy kale, and it's now my favorite leafy green!
- Prep sweet potatoes: Wash and dice your sweet potatoes in a small 1/2-inch dice. No need to peel them, there's a lot of nutrition in sweet potato skin! Add the diced sweet potatoes to your lined baking tray. Place them on the center rack of your oven and bake for 20-25 minutes. Note that how long they take to bake depends on the strength of your oven, how small you cut the sweet potatoes, etc. So you may want to check them earlier. Sweet potatoes are done when a fork easily pierces one of the cubes.
- Chop remaining vegetables: While your sweet potatoes cook, you can chop your remaining vegetables. I like to dice most vegetables, though I have a few I do something different to. Carrots I usually peel and grate with a box grater. Grape tomatoes (or cherry tomatoes) I usually halve or quarter depending on their size.
- Make the dressing: In a bowl, jar, or measuring cup (I always make dressings in a glass measuring cup because I watched my mom do it when I was growing up!), add the hummus, vinegar, and Dijon mustard. Whisk to combine with a small whisk or a fork. Thin it out with cold filtered water. Start with a little, whisk, and add more if needed until you reach the desired consistency. Add in any other flavorings you like, more vinegar, maple syrup or date paste, etc. Whatever you like! I added in dried oregano (thyme is also great) and fresh cracked black pepper.
- Dress the salad: When the sweet potatoes are almost done (or done) and you're ready to serve, add the dressing to the salad and toss well with salad tongs or forks. Toss until all the salad looks dressed. Taste and adjust if necessary.
- Complete the salad: I like to divide my salad before I add my starches so I can control how much starch I get and how much my partner gets (as they eat more than I do). I measure out my portion of the sweet potatoes (about ¼ to ⅓ of the pan), and my portion of kidney beans (about ½ a cup). I also do only two walnuts for myself and 5 for my partner since they can eat more fat grams than I can and still lose weight! Yeesh!
- Serve: Since the salad is dressed, I recommend serving immediately. If you don't want to eat the salad right away, I wouldn't dress it until I was ready to serve it.
Video
Notes
- Use Any Greens: Hey, if you don’t like kale (and you’ve tried massaging it with lemon or vinegar, because that REALLY helps), don’t use it. Try other greens until you find one you do like. Baby greens available in plastic tubs like baby spinach, baby kale, baby arugula, or even those “power greens” blends are all great choices for this salad.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Choose one you enjoy! I particularly love flavored vinegars like anything from California Balsamic or for an in-store option, I really like the Acid League Blueberry Pomegranate Living Balsamic. I often use California Balsamic Lemon Vinegar or Fig Balsamic in my salad dressing.
- Size It Up or Down As Needed: Cooking for a big crowd? Double the recipe easily as long as you have a big enough bowl (or multiple bowls)! Don’t eat as huge of salads as my partner and I do? Halve the recipe easily. Or even quarter it. Once dressed, salad does not keep well, so only make as much as you would like to eat.
- Swap Out the Starch: I love kale salad with sweet potatoes, but it’s also delicious with regular potatoes, more beans (or lentils), cooked grains like quinoa or oat groats, or even cooked whole grain pasta! Use a starch that you like.
- Chop Finely: The more you chop up the salad, the easier it is to chew and digest, which means less stomach discomfort. I also highly recommend eating your salad slowly, making sure to take the time to chew thoroughly. This not only increases nutrient absorption but makes it easier to digest later. If you’re new to eating a lot of roughage, it will take some time to get used to.