Kale Sweet Potato Salad

Homemade balsamic dressing adds a touch of sweetness to this simple yet flavorful and satisfying kale sweet potato salad. High-protein add-ins like quinoa and navy beans as well as superfood kale make this a healthy vegan one-pot meal.

Have you had enough salads this month already? Just make room for this one, just this One Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad Recipe. It’s not exactly your typical salad, it’s a warm one-pot vegetarian and vegan meal, perfect for lunch. 

WHY SWEET POTATO SALAD

There are some recipes that you can’t go wrong with in life. These great recipes are mostly those that offer pure comfort with mostly classic flavors and ingredients. Today’s sweet potato salad fits right into this category. Easy, simple, quick and pure delicious comfort love.

When I am making this sweet potato salad for dinner, a potluck or a party, I serve it as a side salad—it pairs wonderfully with just about anything! Depending on how big/small you cut your chunks of sweet potatoes, this sweet potato salad all comes together in 15 minutes start to finish, and it’s absolute comfort you can’t miss 🙂

Sometimes all you need is a foolproof salad recipe. Nothing too fancy or out of the norm with classic ingredients and flavors, as well as a really simple technique! A quick salad recipe that tastes like homemade comfort and is also kid-friendly! This Kale Sweet Potato Salad fits the bill.

HOW TO MAKE KALE SWEET POTATO SALAD

Let’s start with how the sweet potato is cooked perfectly with no water, boiling, roasting or mess. I teach this technique all the time at the coking school and every single person who came in and made it has never gone back.

The ultimate best way to cook sweet potatoes (or regular potatoes as a matter of fact), whether for mashing or for using them cubed as they are is on your stove using a pan.

Do you remember this amazing sweet potato gratin recipe? I explain much about it there. Basically, you’ll sauté the sweet potatoes in a bit of butter or olive oil, turn the heat to low and cover the pan tightly. The sweet potatoes will cook and steam in their own juices. No extra water added.

And if you want to add onion, garlic or any flavors to the sweet potatoes, you just simply sauté them first before adding the sweet potatoes to your pan. It’s that simple, easy and brilliant. Once they’re fork tender, the sweet potatoes can be mashed or left whole.

I added quinoa to the sweet potatoes, i.e raw quinoa seeds that I’ve rinsed. Here’s a great post on How to Cook Quinoa perfectly every single time. For this recipe for sweet potato salad, the quinoa cooks right in the pot with the sweet potatoes. It’s like a one pot wonder

Once the sweet potatoes are fork tender, the quinoa will be tender with a slight bite (perfect for texture), you’ll then add in some white navy beans. The beans will just cook for a couple of minutes with sweet potatoes and quinoa before I turn off the heat, add in some chopped fresh kale and cover the pot. The kale will wilt slightly from the heat in the pan for a couple of minutes. And it’s DONE!

HOW TO SERVE KALE SWEET POTATO SALAD

I finish off the Sweet Potato Salad with a basic straightforward balsamic dressing. You can make a really fancy basil balsamic like the one in this Blackberry Pecan Roast Veggie Power Salad, or keep it a simple balsamic vinegar and olive oil one. Either way—it tastes GREAT!

No matter how sick of salads you’ve been this month—PLEASE make room for this Sweet Potato Salad. And don’t think of it as a salad, it’s really more of a side dish or a full meal. Enjoy!

TIPS FOR SWEET POTATO SALAD

• Instead of navy beans, use chickpeas, pistachios, black beans or lentils.
• I love sprinkling some slivered almonds and some chopped scallions on the top of my sweet potato salad. Roasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds are other options for a nice crunch.
• Other great additions are cooked and diced bacon, some chopped tomatoes, dried cranberries, sweet bell peppers, broccoli or arugula.
• This same recipe will also work with butternut squash!
• Feta, goat cheese, or blue cheese crumbles would be a great complement to this salad.

FAQ

How do I store leftover kale and sweet potato salad?

Store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for three or four days.

Do I need to peel the sweet potatoes?

No. You do not have to peel the sweet potatoes, just base your decision on personal preference.

Can I make this salad ahead of time?

While it is best fresh, you can definitely meal prep for this salad to make it come together fast. Roast the sweet potatoes two to four days before you plan to have the salad. Then toss it with the other ingredients in the skillet and heat it through all at once. You will save yourself fifteen to eighteen minutes on the day you serve salad. You can also dice and roast sweet potatoes, then freeze them in salad portions to use at a later date. Spread the sweet potatoes out flat in a plastic bag in your freezer. That way they will lay flat in your skillet frozen and will thaw quickly as you add the remaining ingredients.

Is Kale Sweet Potato Salad Healthy?

Yes. This salad is full of great ingredients that are good for you with no added sugar. With all kinds of nutrients and great taste, it’s a win-win on your dinner table.

MORE GREAT SALAD RECIPES

• Sweet Persimmon Apple Kale Salad Recipe
• Kale Salad with Spicy Lentils
• Smoked Salmon Salad With Blue Cheese Dressing
• Salmon Salad With Sweet Dill Dressing

4.67 from 12 votes

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One Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad

A simple yet flavorful and satisfying sweet potato salad with high-protein add-ins like quinoa and navy beans as well as superfood kale! A simple balsamic dressing adds a touch of sweetness to this healthy vegan one-pot dish.

Course Appetizer, Main Course, side

Cuisine American

Keyword quinoa salad, salad with sweet potatoes and quinoa, sweet potato salad

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 6

Calories 211 kcal

Author Mahy

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 teaspoon olive oil butter or butter substitute
• 2 scallions chopped
• 2 sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 1/2 cup brown/black raw quinoa rinsed
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 2 tablespoon water
• 2/3 cup white navy beans (drained and rinsed from a can or home cooked)
• 2 cups kale chopped
• 1/4 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 cup slivered almonds
• 2 scallions , chopped

For the dressing:

• 1 clove garlic minced
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 teaspoon olive oil ( up to 2 Tablespoons for extra flavor)

Instructions

1. Preheat a wide pot with a lid over medium-high heat, and add in the olive oil or butter.
2. Sautee the scallions for one minute over medium-high heat and then add in the sweet potatoes, quinoa, seasoning and sauté for 1-2 minutes over medium-high heat.
3. Add the water and cover the pot firmly. Lower the heat to low and allow the sweet potatoes too cook for about 15-18 minutes. Check the sweet potatoes with a fork, when it’s fork tender, it’s ready.
4. Add the white navy beans, toss them with the sweet potatoes and let them cook for two more minutes then turn off the heat.
5. Add the kale, seasoning and toss the kale with the sweet potato mixture. Then cover the pot and let the kale wilt from the heat in the pan for 2-5 minutes.
6. Plate the salad, sprinkle extra almonds and scallions (optional).

7. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and pour over the salad. Enjoy warm.

Recipe Notes

• Instead of navy beans, use chickpeas, black beans or lentils.
• I love sprinkling some slivered almonds and some chopped scallions on the top of my sweet potato salad.
• Other great additions are some chopped tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, broccoli or arugula.

Nutrition Facts

One Pot Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 211 Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Sodium 177mg8%

Potassium 516mg15%

Carbohydrates 30g10%

Fiber 5g21%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 8g16%

Vitamin A 8460IU169%

Vitamin C 29.7mg36%

Calcium 105mg11%

Iron 2.5mg14%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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