sweet miscellany

This autumnal kale salad is made with massaged kale leaves, apple, celery, pecans, and a simple and flavorful maple Dijon dressing. Enjoy it as a side dish or top it with your favorite protein for a quick and filling meal!

I have a confession to make…I LOVE KALE. But more specifically, lacinato kale. Known by other fanciful names like dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, or cavolo nero, this is probably my very favorite leafy green (if I was forced to pick just one). It makes the perfect kale salad but only if you treat it right! In other words, you can’t just chop it and throw it in a bowl. You have to give it a massage first. This helps soften it, making it easier to chew and digest.

I paired massaged lacinato kale with thinly sliced apple, celery, toasted pecans, and a maple dijon dressing for a quick and flavorful autumnal side dish. You can easily elevate it to a main dish by adding your favorite protein. If I go that route, I usually top it with some vegan chicken tenders or grilled/baked tofu. The great thing about this salad, other than the fact that it’s incredibly delicious, is that you only need 10 ingredients and about 15 minutes. Sounds pretty perfect, right?!

What You Need to Make this Kale Salad

For the salad portion, you’ll need 1 bunch of lacinato kale, 3 ribs of celery, 1 crisp and sweet apple, and some toasted pecans.

For the dressing, you’ll need extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, maple syrup, garlic powder, and sea salt.

How to Make this Kale Salad

Strip the kale leaves away from the stems (you can save the stems for another recipe). Roughly chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces then add them to a bowl with a pinch of sea salt. Using your fingers, massage the kale until it softens and begins to glisten. Set your kale aside while you chop your apple, celery, and pecans.

Add the chopped apple, celery, and pecans to the bowl with the massaged kale. Then, add all of the ingredients for the dressing to a small bowl and whisk until emulsified and smooth.

Start by pouring half of the dressing over the salad, then gently toss it. Taste, and add more dressing if you like. You can also season with more sea salt to suit your taste. Now you get to enjoy your salad!

Recipe Success Tips

Make sure you massage your kale until it glistens! It should look shiny and a little more vibrant than it did before.
I prefer to slice the apples and celery on the thinner side to fill out the salad a little more and ensure there’s a little of something in every bite.
Don’t forget to toast your pecans! It really helps to bring out their beautiful, nutty flavor.
Make sure to whisk the dressing until it is smooth and emulsified. This simply means that you don’t see a separation of the oil anymore and that the mixture is homogenous.

Other Kale Favorites to Try

If persimmons are in season where you live, try this kale and persimmon salad. Or, if you want something cozy and warm, try this fonio bowl with garlicky kale and roasted carrots.

Kale, Apple, & Celery Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing

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Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 4 side servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 bunch of lacinato kale
sea salt, to taste
3 ribs of celery
1 crisp and sweet apple such as Fuji, Cosmic Crisp, or Honeycrisp
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

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Instructions

Strip the leaves of your kale away from the stems. Save the stems for another recipe or compost them. Roughly chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and add them to a large bowl. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the leaves then massage them with your fingers until they have softened and are shiny.
Thinly slice your apple and celery and add them to the bowl with the kale. Add the pecans as well.
In a small bowl, whisk together the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and garlic powder with a pinch of salt. Whisk until it is smooth and emulsified. You shouldn’t see any oil separating from the mixture at all.
Pour half of the dressing over your salad and gently toss. Taste the salad, then add more dressing or salt as needed. Toss once more.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Notes

Leftovers will keep for 1-2 days in the fridge. If you want to store it for longer, keep the salad and dressing components separate and toss together right before serving.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Category: salad

Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Salad (vegan/gf recipe) | seasonal plant-based recipes via The Sweet Miscellany Blog

This quinoa salad is made with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, red onion, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and lime. It’s super flavorful not to mention filling, vegan, and gluten free!

Sweet potatoes are always the first sign that summer is coming to an end here in Houston since it’s still pretty hot outside! Since sweet potatoes are a tropical plant, they thrive in the heat all summer long, maturing just as summer winds down. This roasted sweet potato and black bean quinoa salad is a new favorite in my kitchen! Chunks of sweet potato are spiced with chili and garlic powder then roasted until nice and tender. They’re tossed with cooked quinoa, black beans, pumpkin seeds, red onion, cilantro, and lime for a super simple and filling salad.

What You Need to Make this Quinoa Salad

Sweet Potato – you’ll need just 1 standard medium/large sweet potato. Once roasted and added to the salad, it adds an earthy sweetness.
Chili Powder & Garlic Powder – these spices flavor the roasted sweet potatoes and add a lovely depth of flavor.
Sea Salt – seasons the sweet potatoes and the salad along with balancing all of the flavors.
Olive Oil or Avocado Oil – oil helps to roast the sweet potatoes, moisten the salad, and carry flavor.
Canned Black Beans – add protein to the salad and complement the roasted sweet potatoes.
Quinoa – forms the bulk of the salad and provides a great source of fiber, nutrients, and additional protein. For added flavor, you can cook your quinoa in vegetable stock instead of water!
Red Onion – adds a fresh bite to the salad.
Pumpkin Seeds – add crunch and an earthy nuttiness.
Cilantro – lifts the salad with its bright and citrusy flavor.
Lime – along with the oil, the lime helps to season and moisten the salad without needing to make a separate dressing for it. It also makes all of the flavors really pop.

How to Make this Quinoa Salad

You’ll start by roasting your sweet potato. Cut it into roughly 1-inch chunks, then place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic powder, chili powder, salt, and oil over the sweet potato and toss to coat with your hands. Spread it in an even layer and roast it in a 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes until tender, flipping halfway through.

While the sweet potato is roasting, you’ll make your quinoa. You’ll combine your water (or vegetable stock) and quinoa in a pot along with a pinch of salt. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and place the lid on the pot. Cook the quinoa for about 15 minutes (or until the water has been absorbed), then remove the quinoa from the heat and allow it to sit with the lid on for a few minutes.

Allow the quinoa to cool closer to room temperature (it doesn’t have to be completely cooled). Then, add the quinoa, roasted sweet potato, black beans, pumpkin seeds, diced red onion, and chopped cilantro to a large bowl. Toss to combine.

The last step is to squeeze over the lime juice, season with salt to taste, and drizzle over a bit of the oil. Toss once more then enjoy!

Tips for Achieving the Best Roasted Sweet Potatoes

There’s nothing worse than roasting something to perfection only to have it stick to your pan so make sure to line it with some parchment paper! Make sure not to skimp on the oil called for as it helps to roast the sweet potatoes. The last trick is to remember to flip the potatoes halfway through their roasting time. It ensures they are evenly roasted and discouraging any burning or charring!

How to Store and Enjoy this Salad

The great thing about this salad is that it stores easily in the fridge in an airtight container! Leftovers will keep for 4-5 days. You can eat this salad at room temperature or chilled depending on your preference. If you want to take it over the top, serve it topped with some chopped avocado and queso fresco or cotija cheese. This salad travels well making it perfect for road trips, flights, or picnics.

Want more sweet potato recipes? Try this winter minestrone with collards, sweet potatoes, and fennel or these miso roasted sweet potatoes with arugula pear salad!

Roasted Sweet Potato & Black Bean Quinoa Salad

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No reviews

Author: Courtney West
Total Time: 45 minutes
Yield: 4 servings 1x
Diet: Vegan

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Description

This quinoa salad is made with roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, red onion, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, and lime. It’s super flavorful not to mention filling, vegan, and gluten free!

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 medium/large sweet potato
3 tbsp olive oil or avocado oil, divided
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp sea salt, plus more to taste
1 cup uncooked quinoa
1 3/4 cup water or vegetable stock
1 can cooked black beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
2/3 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 limes

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Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment. Clean your sweet potato, then cut into roughly 1-inch chunks. Place the sweet potato chunks on your parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle the garlic powder, chili powder, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1 tbsp of the oil over the sweet potato and toss to coat with your hands. Spread it in an even layer then roast it in a 400-degree oven for 25-30 minutes until tender, flipping halfway through.

While your sweet potato is roasting, make the quinoa. Combine the quinoa and water (or vegetable stock) in a pot and set it over high heat. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil, add a pinch of salt, then reduce the heat to medium-low and place a lid on the pot. Allow the quinoa to cook like this for 15 minutes then remove it from the heat. Leave the lid on the pot and let the quinoa sit for 5 minutes.

After 5 minutes, you can remove the lid from the quinoa. Let it cool down close to room temperature, then add it to a large mixing bowl along with the roasted sweet potato, black beans, pumpkin seeds, diced red onion, and cilantro. Toss to combine. Drizzle the remaining 2 tbsp of oil over the salad and squeeze the juice of 1 lime over the salad. Season with salt if you like, then toss once more.

Serve the salad at room temperature or chilled with lime wedges on the side. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.

Notes

If you don’t like the taste of cilantro, you can use flat leaf parsley in its place.
If you prefer to use black beans that you cook yourself, you’ll need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked beans.
If you can’t find sweet potatoes, you can use 1 bunch of carrots for a similar flavor.

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes
Category: main