Kale & Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

by

Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website.

This Kale Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad puts a smoky-spicy twist on a classic winter salad! Roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, chopped kale, and quinoa are drenched in a bold lemon-chipotle dressing to give you a wholesome meal with exciting flavors. Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Chilly weather is no match for this warm and hearty Kale and Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad. With tender kale, roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy chickpeas, and fluffy quinoa tossed in a tangy chipotle dressing, this side dish or light lunch has what it takes to warm you up from the inside out. Enjoy it during the holidays or make it year-round for meal prep!

Table of Contents
  1. Warm Up with this Hearty Winter Salad
  2. What You Need for this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
  3. How to Make Quinoa Salad with Kale and Sweet Potatoes
  4. Serving Suggestions
  5. How to Store Kale Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad
  6. Substitutions and Variations
  7. Recipe FAQs
  8. Kale & Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad Recipe

Warm Up with this Hearty Winter Salad

This Kale & Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad is a light-but-still-hearty meal that will pull you out of a comfort food coma. Like a lot of other winter salads, it features roasted sweet potatoes and crunchy roasted chickpeas tossed with a bed of tender kale. What helps it stand out among the rest, though, is a hint of smoky heat thanks to chipotle peppers! 

Seasoning the veggies and making the vinaigrette with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce is what gives this salad a slight Tex-Mex flavor and cozy flavor. Warm, smoky, a little spicy, and super satisfying, it’s a vibrant and crowd-pleasing side dish you can bring to the holiday dinner, enjoy as a light meal, or make for meal prep. 

What You Need for this Roasted Sweet Potato Salad

This is not your average vegan winter salad! Yes, a few seasonal classics show up, but there is one secret ingredient that adds an explosion of new and exciting flavors. These are the key ingredients you need:

  • Chickpeas: use canned chickpeas for convenience, but make sure to drain and dry them really well first. Dry chickpeas get the crispiest when roasted in the oven. 
  • Quinoa: I love a hearty fall and winter salad, and cooked quinoa is the perfect grain to bulk up every bite.
  • Sweet Potato: just like butternut squash and pumpkin (two great substitutes for the potatoes here, btw), roasting sweet potatoes in the oven caramelizes their natural sugars to make them irresistibly nutty, sweet, and earthy. 
  • Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce: the secret ingredient! It’s my secret weapon for instantly adding a savory, smoky pop of flavor to salads, casseroles, chili, and so much more. You can buy canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce in the international or Mexican aisle of most grocery stores, in Latin markets, or online.
  • Kale: a hearty salad calls for hearty leafy greens, and curly or lacinato kale couldn’t be more perfect. If you prefer something lighter, you can use spinach or arugula instead.
  • Lemon Chipotle Salad Dressing: olive oil, lemon juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, agave, and kosher salt transform into a smoky, tangy, and slightly sweet dressing.

How to Make Quinoa Salad with Kale and Sweet Potatoes

  1. Cook the quinoa in a pot of boiling salted water until all of the water is absorbed. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
  2. Toss the dried chickpeas with the adobo sauce, garlic powder, and olive oil until they’re well coated. Lay them on one half of a baking sheet. Add the sweet potato cubes to the empty bowl and season with the remaining adobo sauce, garlic powder, and olive oil. Transfer to the other half of the baking sheet and season both with salt.
  3. Roast the potatoes and chickpeas until the potatoes are lightly browned around the edges and the chickpeas are crispy.
  4. Add the salad dressing ingredients to a jar, seal the lid closed, and shake until it’s emulsified.
  5. Add the kale to a large salad bowl and pour the dressing over top. Use clean hands to massage the dressing into the kale until it wilts. Add the cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas, onion, and parsley to the bowl and toss to combine.
  6. Garnish with pepitas and serve the salad right away or chill it in the fridge for 15 minutes to allow all of the flavors to come together.

Caitlin’s Cooking Tips

  • Roast the sweet potatoes and chickpeas on the top rack in the oven: This will help caramelize the sweet potatoes and crisp the chickpeas perfectly without burning.
  • The secret to tender and flavorful kale? Massage it! Kale is a hearty and naturally bitter-tasting leafy green. It isn’t the easiest to eat raw, but when you get in there with your hands and massage the dressing into the leaves, they become soft, tender, and tasty.
  • Make a double batch of salad dressing: It’s always a good idea to have a second batch of this dressing ready in your fridge! It adds a nice tangy warmth to all kinds of fall and winter salads, like this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad or this Fall Farro Salad.

Serving Suggestions

This roasted sweet potato and kale salad is a fantastic side dish or light lunch. The quinoa and roasted chickpeas help keep you full, but you can easily turn it into a more satisfying meal by topping each serving with your favorite plant protein, like this Rosemary Garlic Tofu, these Crispy Garlic Soy Curls, or this Smoky Tempeh.

If you plan on serving it as a side dish, I recommend pairing it with cozy main dishes, like this Vegan Tofu Turkey, this Mushroom Pot Pie, or this Vegan Lentil Loaf. It’s sure to be a hit at your Thanksgiving dinner as well! If you need pairing ideas, check out my list of 32 Vegan Thanksgiving Recipe Ideas.

If you’re looking for more hearty fall and winter salad recipes, you’ll also love this Curry Kale Salad with Chickpeas & Almonds, this Lentil Pomegranate Salad, and this Roasted Vegetable Salad with Smoky Tempeh!

How to Store Kale Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

This salad is best enjoyed within a few hours of being assembled. If you end up with leftovers, transfer them to an airtight container and store them in the fridge. Enjoy within 5 days for the best taste and texture.

Want to make it for meal prep? Keep the roasted chickpeas and sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, salad dressing, and kale/parsley/onions in separate airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Toss everything together right before serving and enjoy!

Substitutions and Variations

  • Optional Add-Ins: Double up on the roasted vegetable goodness by adding roasted beets, butternut squash, or red peppers to the salad. Or, for a hint of sweetness, add a handful of dried cranberries, diced apples, pears, or pomegranate seeds.
  • Quinoa Substitute: If quinoa isn’t your favorite, use another hearty, nutty whole grain instead, like cooked brown rice or farro. 
  • Salad Dressing Options: If the spicy salad dressing isn’t your thing, swap the dressing in this recipe for a tangy, slightly sweeter dressing, like my Sesame Miso Dressing, this Tahini Dressing, or this Simple Balsamic Vinaigrette.
  • Topping Options: If you don’t have pepitas, garnish the salad with sunflower seeds, slivered almonds, chopped walnuts, or pecans instead.

Recipe FAQs

Should I eat this hot or cold?

Personally, I think this salad is best enjoyed when the roasted veggies are still warm, but it’s delicious both warm and cold. If you plan to eat this cold later, store the chickpeas separately in the fridge so they stay crispy.

Is the salad dressing spicy?

The chipotles in adobo give the dressing a medium spicy kick. If you prefer a milder dressing, replace the chopped chipotle peppers with 1/4 to 1/2  teaspoon of chipotle powder.

Do I have to use sweet potatoes?

Not if you don’t want to. Another roasted hearty vegetable, butternut squash, pumpkin, parsnips, or beets, would be just as delicious here.

Enjoy! If you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I would also love it if you could leave a comment below with a recipe rating! Thank you for the support 😊



For the Salad:

  • 1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
  • 3/4 cup dry quinoa
  • 1 large sweet potato peeled and diced into 1/2” pieces
  • 1 tablespoon adobo sauce divided (from the canned chipotles)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 bunch curly or lacinato kale de-stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 1/4 cup finely diced red onion or shallot about 1/4 red onion or 1 small shallot
  • 1/2 cup flat leaf parsley chopped (about 1/2 small bunch)
  • 1/4 cup pepitas for topping

  • Prep: Preheat the oven to 420F and set a large baking sheet aside. Place the drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

  • Cook the Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa and let drain, then add to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water (350 ml) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing; set aside to let cool.

  • Season: Add the dried chickpeas to a medium bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Mix well, then transfer to one half of the prepared baking sheet. Add the sweet potato to the mixing bowl and season with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Transfer to the other half of the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, or to taste.

  • Roast: Roast on the top rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping both the sweet potatoes and chickpeas after 15 minutes of cook time.

  • Dressing: Add the oil, lemon juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, agave, and salt to a small jar. Seal and shake well, until emulsified. Set aside.

  • Combine: Add the kale to a large bowl and pour the dressing over it; massage with clean hands until translucent and reduced in size by about half. Add the cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas*, onion, and parsley to the bowl. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. *Note: if you plan on having leftovers, I recommend storing the chickpeas separately and sprinkling them right on top of the salad so they remain crunchy.

  • Serve & Store: Top with pepitas and serve immediately, or let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill and allow all flavors to combine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

  • Chipotles in Adobo: You can find canned chipotles in adobo in the International or Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. For a milder heat you can also omit the adobo sauce from the roasted vegetables and replace the chopped chiles with 1/4 (mild) to 1/2 teaspoon (medium heat) of chipotle powder in the dressing.

Calories: 572kcalCarbohydrates: 71gProtein: 18gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 1403mgPotassium: 865mgFiber: 14gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 8969IUVitamin C: 22mgCalcium: 121mgIron: 7mg



Source link