This autumn kale and sweet potato salad is the perfect go-to lunch. It’s easy to make, great for prepping ahead, and incredibly nutritious, well-balanced, and tasty.
Meet one of my autumn staples: roasted sweet potato kale salad with couscous, feta, and a tangy orange mustard dressing. It’s nourishing, well-balanced, incredibly tasty, and highly customisable.
Whether you enjoy it as a main dish or a side, this salad won’t disappoint. Since it’s perfect for prepping ahead, I’m sure it will quickly become one of your go-to workday lunches.
WHICH INGREDIENTS WILL YOU NEED TO MAKE THIS SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD?
- Cooked chickpeas
- Sweet potato (skin on)
- Couscous (white or wholegrain)
- Curly kale
- Pomegranate seeds
- Feta cheese
- Olive oil
- Lemon juice
- Harissa spice mix
WHICH INGREDIENTS WILL YOU NEED FOR THE ORANGE MUSTARD DRESSING?
- Dijon mustard
- Rice vinegar
- Orange juice
- Maple syrup
- Olive oil
HOW TO MAKE THIS SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD?
This roasted sweet potato and kale salad recipe is super simple—so simple, in fact, that for a moment I thought it might be too simple to share here on the blog. But the result was so good that I just had to share it with all of you!
What I especially love about this kale and sweet potato salad is not only that it tastes great cold (which it obviously does!), but it’s so delicious when warm. This means you don’t have to wait long before serving it, saving you precious time.
Start by preheating the oven to 180°C while you prepare your ingredients.
1. BAKE SWEET POTATO AND CHICKPEAS
First, wash the sweet potato thoroughly, dry it, and cut it into evenly sized triangles. The easiest way to do this is by cutting the sweet potato in half lengthwise. Then, cut each half lengthwise again at an angle into thirds. Finally, cut across the pieces to get even-sized triangles.
I like to leave the skin on the sweet potatoes to get the most vitamins, minerals and fibre. The skin is perfectly edible, and as long as you wash it thoroughly, it’s safe to eat and incredible nutritious.
Next, rinse and dry your cooked chickpeas. It’s great if you have home-cooked chickpeas, but canned ones will also do the job perfectly.
Toss the sweet potatoes and chickpeas in olive oil and salt. Season with harissa spice mix or any other spices you like, then bake in the oven for 30 minutes.
2. STEAM COUSCOUS
Couscous is a type of pasta that’s incredibly convenient to keep in your pantry, as it cooks quickly and pairs well with almost anything.
My favourite way to prepare couscous is to place it in a container with a tight-fitting lid. The ideal liquid-to-couscous ratio is 1.5:1.
Pour boiling water over the couscous, cover it, and let it steam for 5 minutes. Afterwards, let it rest for another 2 minutes before fluffing it with a fork or spoon.
3. MAKE THE ORANGE MUSTARD DRESSING
Combine all the dressing ingredients in a jar, seal the jar tightly, and shake to emulsify. That’s it!
Just give it another shake before serving, as it may separate over time.
4. CLEAN POMEGRANATE SEEDS
Now you’re left with cleaning the pomegranate and preparing the kale. In one of my previous recipes, I’ve shared my favourite and easiest method for cleaning a pomegranate. Trust me, once you try it, you won’t look back! 😉
5. MASSAGE KALE LEAVES
First, remove the stems and chop the kale leaves, starting from the top down. Thoroughly wash the chopped leaves. I love to use a salad spinner to dry them perfectly.
Then, drizzle the kale with lemon juice and olive oil, and massage the leaves for 2-3 minutes. You’ll notice the leaves shrinking and becoming more tender.
6. ASSEMBLE THE SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD
Once all the elements are ready, it’s time to assemble the dish. In a large bowl, combine the baked sweet potato, chickpeas, couscous, kale, and pomegranate seeds. Drizzle with the orange mustard dressing and toss everything together. Finish by crumbling feta cheese on top before serving.
SEARCHING FOR MORE SALAD IDEAS?
Roasted Pumpkin Salad with Tahini Dressing
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Salmon Salad with a Spicy Sun-Dried Tomato Sauce
Baked Beetroot and Goat Cheese Salad
