Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
A nutritious roasted sweet potato kale salad with tahini glory bowl dressing that's hearty enough for a satisfying meal.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the Crispy Lentils
- 2 cups cooked green or black lentils or 1-19 fl oz can 344 g
- 1/3 cup pepitas 45 g
- 2 tsp olive oil
- ½ tsp smoked paprika
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- salt and pepper
For the Dressing
- 5 tbsp tahini 75 g
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 60 ml
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 ml
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast flakes 25 g
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder or 3 cloves garlic if blending
- 3 tablespoons tamari 45 ml
- 1 1/2 tablespoon maple syrup 25 ml
- 3-4 tbsp water as needed to adjust consistency
- salt and pepper to taste
For the Bowls
- 4 carrots peeled and cut into ½-inch half-moons (220 g/about 1 ¾ cups)
- 1 red onion peeled and chopped (170 g/1 ¾ cups)
- 1 large sweet potato cut into ½-inch cubes (625 g/4 cups)
- 1 large or 2 small beets peeled and diced (195 g, 1 1/2 cups)
- 8 cups packed kale finely chopped (115 g)
- 2 tsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
- ½ cup cilantro or parsley chopped, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Drain lentils, then place on a clean kitchen towel to dry. Add the lentils, pepitas, paprika, garlic powder, and oil to a baking pan. Season with salt and pepper, then toss to coat. Spread lentils and pepitas out in an even layer. Roast for 10 mins, then give them a shake and a stir and roast for another 10-12 min, until crunchy and crispy.
- Prepare 1 large or 2 smaller baking trays. Add the carrot, sweet potato, red onion and beet to the pans in an even layer so they're not overly crowed (use 2 pans if needed). Add the olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper and toss to coat. When the lentils are done, increase the oven temperature to 425 F and roast the vegetables for 30-40 minutes until tender.
- Add all of the dressing ingredients to a blender and process until smooth. If you don't have a blender available, use 1/2 garlic powder instead of garlic cloves and whisk the dressing together in a bowl until smooth.
- Remove the kale leaves from the tough stems and chop into bite-sized pieces. Drizzle the kale with 1 tsp olive oil and massage with your hands for 30 seconds or so until softened and bright green.
- Divide the kale between 4 serving bowls or storage containers. When the vegetables are ready, divide the roasted vegetables and crispy lentils between each serving. If you're adding fresh herbs, sprinkle those on top. If you're serving right away, drizzle the dressing over each serving and enjoy. If you're storing for later, store the dressing separately and add just before serving.
Video
Notes
Optional: Add 2 tbsp dried cranberries to each salad. For a variation on the crispy lentils, try adding marinated chickpeas.
To make kale sweet potato bowls, serve the salads over your choice of rice or quinoa.
Alternative Dressing: For oil-free dressing, use this miso tahini dressing or lemon tahini dressing. For a variation, try balsamic dressing.
Nutrition
Serving: 1/4 of recipe | Calories: 602kcal | Carbohydrates: 73g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 27g | Fiber: 18g