This roasted sweet potato, apple and kale salad features lots of fall flavors thanks to cinnamon and maple roasted sweet potatoes and apples, shredded Brussel sprouts, dried cherries, toasted pumpkin seeds and an apple butter and maple vinaigrette.
Nowadays a kale salad seems like old news. What once was the darling of restaurant menus everywhere is now considered somewhat ordinary, which is actually quite a testament to its enduring appeal and culinary versatility. Kale salads have become a staple in our diets, and with good reason.
Healthy and hearty kale make a great base for all kinds of salads, but especially the ones we turn to in the fall and winter for both holiday and everyday eating. This cinnamon roasted sweet potato, apple and kale salad is just the kind I crave this time of year.
It features all kinds of seasonal favorites like sweet potatoes, apples and Brussels sprouts along with cinnamon, maple and toasted pumpkin seeds. It’s most definitely worthy of a place at your holiday table, but also easy enough for a weekday lunch or dinner.
How to make a good kale salad:
The basic technique for any kale salad (and any Brussels sprout salad) is a good massage. Gently rubbing the leaves in oil or a bit of dressing tenderizes them, making them silky instead of tough and bitter. Here both kale (long Lacinato is my favorite) and Brussel sprouts are finely shredded then quickly rubbed until they start to slump and soften. Once the greens are properly softened you just add your toppings and serve.
For this particular salad, I’ve gone for a combination of sweet potatoes and apples, both roasted with a touch of maple and cinnamon to bring out their inherent sweetness. The cubes of sweet potatoes and apples are simply tossed on a sheet pan and roasted until tender and flavorful.
Meanwhile you whisk together a quick dressing made with apple butter for even more fall flavor, and toast a few pumpkin seeds with a pinch of salt for added crunch.
You can serve the salad warm or at room temperature, either way, it’s sure to be a salad that easily fits into the lunch or dinner rotation for the rest of the season.
Serves 4
Sylvie Shirazi
20 minPrep Time
25 minCook Time
45 minTotal Time
Save Recipe5 based on 2 review(s)
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, diced
- 1 large apple ( I like Fuji or Pink Lady), diced
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml extra-virgin oil
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 Tablespoon/15g apple butter (or applesauce)
- 1 Tablespoon/15ml apple cider vinegar
- ½ Tablespoon/7ml maple syrup
- 2 Tablespoons/30ml extra-virgin olive oil
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- 1/2 lb/227g Brussels sprouts, finely shredded with a sharp knife or on a mandolin
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed and finely chopped
- ¼ cup/28g pumpkin seeds
- ½ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup/40g dried cherries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Toss diced sweet potato and apple on a parchment lined sheet pan with olive oil, maple syrup and salt. Roast for about 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden.
- In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients.
- Place shredded Brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl along with a Tablespoon of the apple butter dressing. Gently massage sprouts and kale together with your hands until softened.
- In a small skillet heat together pumpkin seeds, olive oil and salt over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until lightly toasted and fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Pour remaining dressing over massaged kale and shredded Brussels sprouts and toss to coat. Add roasted vegetables, top with toasted pumpkin seeds and dried cherries and serve warm or at room temperature.
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Sylvie Shirazi is the recipe developer and food photographer behind Gourmande in the Kitchen. For the last 10 years she’s been making eating more healthfully easy and accessible with gluten-free, grain-free, paleo and vegan recipes that are free from processed ingredients.
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