Sweet Potato Kale Salad

This vegetarian roasted sweet potato kale salad features maple-candied pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and a homemade creamy tahini maple dressing. It’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy—definitely not your average kale salad!

 

Recipe Highlights

• Easy, Healthy, & Vegetarian: With just 10 minutes of prep (and 35 minutes of idle time for roasting the sweet potatoes), this is a quick, easy, and healthy vegetarian meal that works for both dinner and lunch. It's packed with nutrients!
• Flavor & Texture Variety: I love the mix of flavors and textures in this salad—roasted sweet potatoes, maple-candied pecans, cranberries, feta, and massaged kale all come together for a perfect balance of sweet, creamy, roasted, savory, and crunchy. 
• Unique Dressing: The dressing was another win. I blended tahini with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, adjusting the consistency with water until it was just right—creamy but drizzle-able.
• Year-Round Salad, Perfect for Holidays: Every ingredient in this recipe can be found year-round, but I can already see that this Sweet Potato Kale Salad will be my new favorite Fall salad for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has all those warm, cozy flavors that are perfect for the season.
• Great for Leftovers: I love that this salad keeps well in the fridge (for up to 3 days), even with the dressing already mixed in. The kale doesn’t get soggy, so it’s perfect for meal prep!

Ingredient Notes

• Sweet Potatoes – Roast them in advance for easy prep. You’ll need 1 large sweet potato (or 2 medium-sized), peeled and cut into ½” cubes.
• Pecans – Candying them with maple syrup and cinnamon makes them crunchy and sweet. Store separately to keep them crisp.
• Kale – Massage with cooking vegetable oil to soften the leaves and remove bitterness - see my tips below. It holds up well, making this salad great for meal prep.
• Dried Cranberries – Add tartness + sweetness. You can also use dried figs, cherries, or dried blueberries instead.
• Feta Cheese – Provides a salty, creamy contrast. Goat cheese works as an alternative.
• Tahini Maple Dressing – I made it by mixing tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, water, and neutral oil (such as canola or any vegetable cooking oil) until smooth. I like to make it ahead, keep it in a small air-tight glass jar or mason jar, and shake before using. Adjust thickness with water.
• Oil – Used for roasting the sweet potatoes and massaging kale. Any neutral cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil works well.
• Garlic Powder – Adds depth to the roasted sweet potatoes. You can also use fresh minced garlic.
• Maple Syrup – Used in both the dressing and pecans for natural sweetness. Honey is an alternative.
• Apple Cider Vinegar – Provides acidity in the dressing to balance flavors. Lemon juice can be substituted.
• Salt & Pepper – Enhances all the flavors. Adjust to taste.
• Note: Full ingredients (with amounts) and instructions are in the recipe card below. You can scroll down or use this jump to recipe shortcut.

How to make Sweet Potato Kale Salad

Note: This recipe overview includes step-by-step photos, tips, and tricks. To skip ahead to the full recipe with ingredient amounts, click here. First, I roasted the sweet potatoes with a simple seasoning of garlic powder, salt, and pepper in the preheated oven at 400°F until golden and slightly crispy. 

Meanwhile, I made the maple candied pecans—because plain nuts weren’t going to cut it. Toasting them first brings out their flavor, and the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla create that irresistible crunch. 

The dressing was another win. I blended tahini with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, adjusting the consistency with water until it was just right—creamy but drizzle-able. 

Once everything was ready, I tossed the kale with a bit of oil and massaged it (yes, it makes a difference), then layered in the sweet potatoes, pecans, cranberries, and feta. A generous drizzle of the dressing, and this salad was good to go. 

How To Prepare Kale for Salads

• Remove the Stems: I always strip the leaves from the tough stems since they can be too fibrous for salads. A quick way is to fold the leaf in half and run a knife along the stem, or just tear them off by hand.
• Chop into Bite-Sized Pieces: I’ve found that cutting kale into smaller pieces makes it much easier to eat. Too-large pieces can be tough and chewy, so I aim for roughly 1-inch pieces.
• Massage the Kale: This step makes a huge difference! I drizzle a little oil and a pinch of salt over the chopped kale, then use my hands to massage it for about a minute. It softens the texture and reduces bitterness.
• Let It Sit: If I have time, I let the massaged kale rest for 10–15 minutes before adding other ingredients. It becomes even more tender and absorbs flavors better.
• Use a Bold Dressing: Kale stands up well to rich, creamy, or tangy dressings. I’ve tested it with vinaigrettes, tahini-based dressings, and even citrusy options—all work great!
• Make It Ahead: Unlike other greens, kale doesn’t wilt quickly. I often prep it in advance, store it in an airtight container, and it stays fresh for days, making meal prep super easy.

Variations

• Spicy: Adding some chili flakes into your dressing or on the sweet potatoes will add a kick to your salad!
• Ball jar salad: If you are taking this on the go and don’t want to dress your salad beforehand, add all the ingredients except the dressing into a Ball jar. Once ready to eat, place in a bowl and dress!
• Fresh fruit: Apples, pears, and persimmons would work great with this salad!

Substitutions

• Squash: Butternut, Acorn, or even Kabocha squash are great alternatives to sweet potato! Just follow the same steps as you would for baking the cubed sweet potatoes.
• Nuts: Walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts are all perfect substitutes for pecans.
• Vinegar: Replace the apple cider vinegar with white vinegar if you like!
• Curly Kale: Though dinosaur kale is the perfect leafy green for this salad, curly kale can also work. You will need to massage it with the oil, salt, and pepper a little more to break it down, as it tends to be a tad more dense and chewy than dino kale. 
• Unsalted/Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter: You can use unsalted and unsweetened creamy peanut butter in place of tahini if needed! Even almond or cashew butter would be great!

Tips for Success

• When making the dressing, a very neutral oil like canola or vegetable oil is best because it has very little flavor to it, thus allowing the other flavors and ingredients to stand out. We highly don’t recommend using olive oil as it can get bitter when blended.
• When using an immersion blender for making dressing, it’s always best to put all your ingredients on the bottom and then the oil on top. When you blend, make sure to stick the blender all the way on the bottom first. As you blend, bring the stick up and it will suck the oil down, emulsifying the ingredients together for a smoother, better consistency and has less of a chance to “break.”

Make-Ahead Tips

Roasted sweet potato kale salad is perfect for making ahead! I like to roast the sweet potatoes and prepare the candied pecans in advance, storing them separately in airtight containers. The dressing can also be made ahead and kept in the fridge for up to a week—just give it a good shake before using.

Since kale holds up well, I massage it ahead of time and store it in the fridge until I’m ready to assemble. When it’s time to eat, I simply toss everything together, drizzle on the dressing, and it’s good to go. This makes it a great option for meal prep, potlucks, or holiday gatherings!

Storage Tips

• The leftovers can last up to 3 days in an airtight container in the fridge. It's best to store the salad dressing and candied pecans separately from the rest of the ingredients. However, the salad with the dressing will still hold up well in the fridge for up to 3 days as the kale does not get soggy like other greens.
• Do not freeze salad!

More Salad Recipes

• Roasted Sweet Potato Salad with Spinach, Apples, Cranberries, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple-Lime Dressing
• Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
• Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
• Strawberry and Blueberry Spinach Salad with Pecans and Balsamic Dressing
• Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Spinach, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds

5 from 1 vote

Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad

This vegetarian roasted sweet potato kale salad features maple-candied pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and a homemade creamy tahini maple dressing. It’s sweet, salty, crunchy, and creamy. It keeps well in the fridge (for up to 3 days), so it’s perfect for meal prep, leftovers, making ahead, potlucks, and holiday gatherings!

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 35 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mediterranean

Servings 6

Calories per serving 677 kcal

Author: Julia

Ingredients

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• 1 large sweet potato (or 2 medium) peeled and cut into ½” cubes
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil any kind works well
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

Candied Pecans

• 1 ½ cups pecan halves
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon salt

Tahini Maple Dressing (Makes approximately 1 cup)

• ¼ cup tahini
• 3 tablespoons maple syrup
• 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 clove garlic minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼-½ cup water as needed
• ½ cup neutral cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil

Salad

• 1 bunch dinosaur kale (lacinato kale), stems removed, chopped into large pieces
• 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup dried cranberries
• 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled

US Customary - Metric

Instructions 

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

• Preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, toss sweet potatoes, oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until coated. Pour onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.

Maple Candied Pecans

• While the sweet potato is roasting, heat a medium pan on medium heat with no oil. Toast the pecans for about 6-7 minutes until fragrant, occasionally moving them around so they don’t burn on one side.
• Pour the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract over the pecans and cook until the syrup begins to become sticky and thicken making sure to coat the pecans.
• Turn off the heat, sprinkle with salt, stir to coat the pecans. Once coated, transfer to a plate to cool completely and harden.

Tahini Maple Dressing

• Place the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and water, with the oil last and on top in a measuring cup or tall glass and blend with an immersion blender until smooth. Taste and adjust with salt or pepper.
• Thin out with more water if it feels too thick.

Salad Assembly

• In a large serving bowl, combine the kale, oil, salt, and pepper. Massage the kale with your hands until fully coated.
• Add the cooled sweet potato, maple candied pecans, cranberries, and feta cheese randomly on top.
• Drizzle with the tahini maple dressing, add salt and pepper to taste, serve, and enjoy!

Notes

• Sweet Potato Alternatives: Use butternut, acorn, or kabocha squash instead of sweet potatoes, following the same roasting steps.
• Nut Substitutes: Swap pecans for walnuts, hazelnuts, or pine nuts.
• Vinegar Option: White vinegar works in place of apple cider vinegar.
• Dried Fruit Variations: Use dried figs, cherries, or blueberries instead of cranberries for a different flavor.
• Cheese Swap: Goat cheese can replace feta for a similar creamy, salty contrast.
• Kale Options: I used Dinasour Kale (Lacinato). Curly kale works, too, but needs extra massaging to soften its tougher texture.
• Tahini Substitute: Unsalted, unsweetened peanut, almond, or cashew butter can replace tahini.
• Make it Spicy: Add chili flakes to the dressing or roasted sweet potatoes for heat.
• Add Fruit: Apples, pears, or persimmons pair well with this salad.
• Storage Tips: Store the leftover sweet potato kale salad in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. For the best texture, store the dressing and candied pecans separately; however, even with the dressing mixed in, the salad should stay well in the fridge because kale does not get soggy like other greens. 

 

Nutrition

Nutrition Information

Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad

Amount per Serving

Calories

677

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

56

g

86

%

Saturated Fat

 

7

g

44

%

Trans Fat

 

0.1

g

Polyunsaturated Fat

 

16

g

Monounsaturated Fat

 

31

g

Cholesterol

 

17

mg

6

%

Sodium

 

471

mg

20

%

Potassium

 

575

mg

16

%

Carbohydrates

 

40

g

13

%

Fiber

 

7

g

29

%

Sugar

 

22

g

24

%

Protein

 

9

g

18

%

Vitamin A

 

12636

IU

253

%

Vitamin C

 

44

mg

53

%

Calcium

 

286

mg

29

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

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

Nutrition Disclaimer:

The nutritional information on this website is only an estimate and is provided for convenience and as a courtesy only. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed. It should not be used as a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Keyword roasted sweet potato salad, sweet potato kale salad

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