This Kale Sweet Potato Salad is amazing! It features kale, couscous, caramelized sweet potatoes, tender black beans, creamy avocado, and an incredible basil-lemon vinaigrette.
author’s note
My Favorite Salad, Maybe Ever!
I’ve always been a salad lover, but the problem with most salads is that leftovers never last, and it feels like a one-and-done meal. But this salad changed everything for me—it’s become my weekly staple, and I can’t stop making it!
If you’ve never tried a salad with kale, it’s a total game-changer. It holds its shape and doesn’t wilt, making it perfect for meal prep. I either keep the ingredients separate for daily assembly or layer them in a Mason jar for a convenient grab-and-go option.
Packed with fiber and plant-based protein, it’s super filling. For an extra protein boost, I sometimes toss in baked or grilled chicken.
Kale Sweet Potato Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps / Tips |
|---|---|
| Couscous | Swap with quinoa, brown rice, or farro. |
| Sweet Potatoes | Use butternut squash or carrots if you prefer. |
| Kale | Baby spinach for a softer green, but don’t prep too far ahead. |
| Red Onion | Soak in cool water for 10 minutes to mellow flavor. |
| Black Beans | Chickpeas or white beans also work. |
| Feta Cheese | Goat cheese or shaved Parmesan. |
| Pistachios | Almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds. |
| Basil Dressing | Use a microplane for the lemon zest; juice with a citrus juicer. |
Quick Tip
Are you new to couscous? It’s like spaghetti cut into tiny pieces. I’m using Moroccan couscous, which cooks faster than the larger Israeli version. If you use Israeli, just cook it a little longer.
How To Make Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Cook couscous: Boil water, add couscous, cover, steam, then fluff with a fork.
- Roast sweet potatoes: Toss in oil, season, and roast until golden and caramelized.
- Prep kale: Massage kale with a drizzle of dressing to soften and cut bitterness.
- Blend dressing: Combine basil, lemon, Dijon, garlic, and honey until smooth.
- Assemble: Toss together kale, couscous, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, feta, and pistachios.
- Serve: Enjoy right away or portion for meal prep.
Storage
- Store separately: Keep ingredients and dressing in different containers in the fridge.
- Mason jar layering: For grab-and-go meals, layer in this order: dressing, red onion, black beans, sweet potato, couscous, and kale. Add feta and pistachios in a little bag on top.
- Shelf life: Ingredients keep for up to five days, dressing for a week.
More Salad Recipes:
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Costco Kale Salad
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Kale And Avocado Salad
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Mexican Salad
Pasta Salads
Mediterranean Orzo Salad
Kale Sweet Potato Salad
This Kale Sweet Potato Salad is packed with flavor—tender kale, caramelized sweet potatoes, couscous, black beans, creamy avocado, and a zesty basil-lemon vinaigrette. Amazing in every bite!
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Small blender or food processor
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 cup couscous plus 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups diced sweet potatoes plus 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups finely chopped kale see note 1
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion optional
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1 large avocado diced
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese add to preference
- 1/2 cup pistachios coarsely pulsed
Dressing (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 lemons see note 3
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey add to sweetness preference
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let it sit 5 minutes. Then, fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces, ensuring you have 3 cups. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan (leaving space between the pieces) and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the pieces and roast for an additional 10–15 minutes until tender. Let cool.
- Dressing: Add dressing ingredients in a mini blender or food processor. Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. Transfer the dressing to a mason jar and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Place the finely chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Mix in 1 tbsp of the prepared dressing, scrunching firmly with both hands for about 15 seconds to soften the kale and infuse it with flavor. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Use a nut grinder or food processor to coarsely chop the pistachios, aiming for a mix of coarsely chopped nuts and some powder.
- For immediate serving: Toss kale and couscous in a large bowl. Top with other salad ingredients, add dressing to preference, adjust seasoning, and serve.For later or meal prep: Store salad components separately or layer in a mason jar (see note 4). Assemble as needed to avoid sogginess and browning. Add optional items as desired.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This is about 1/2 bunch of kale. Remove stems, tightly roll the leaves, and thinly slice into shreds. Then, finely chop these shreds and gently pack them into a measuring cup for accurate measurement.
- To remove kale stems: Hold the leaf with one hand, grip the stem firmly, and strip the leaves away with your fingers or a knife.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 760kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 1111mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 17730IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What To Serve With Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Quinoa or Brown Rice: Replace couscous with a different grain if desired.
- Fresh Fruit Salad: A sweet, refreshing contrast.
- Crusty Bread: For soaking up extra dressing.
- Lentil Soup: For a hearty pairing.
- Grilled Fish or Shrimp: A light, protein-rich option.
This is my absolute favorite, I crave it all the time! I keep having issues with basil going moldy before I can use it though. Do you have suggestions?
So happy to hear that! Basil can be so finicky. I’ve had the best luck treating it like fresh flowers: trim the stems, place them in a glass with a little water, and keep it at room temperature. Change the water every couple of days and it should last much longer!
Yummmm! I used maple syrup in place of the honey, and I paired this with the mini meatloaves recipe from this website. Even my meat and potatoes kind of husband enjoyed it! I see in the description it mentions avocado, but I didn’t see that in the ingredients list and just now realized. Would you chop it up and add it as a salad topping or use it in the dressing? Either way, I’ll definitely be making this again and hoping my mom can come over for leftovers tomorrow!! This is the third recipe I’ve made from here in the last week and a half or so, and I’ve already repeated the other two recipes multiple times. I’m just going to hang out here for a while. Thank you for sharing these wonderful meal ideas with the world! Helping a new mama keep the spark alive in her sanctuary of a kitchen!
This comment absolutely made my day!! I love that you’ve already made so many recipes and are finding some new favorites! And pairing this with the mini meatloaves sounds delicious! The avocado is meant to be chopped up and added right on top of the salad. Thanks for catching that, I’ll get it clarified! Congratulations on becoming a new mama, and thank you so much for taking the time to leave such a thoughtful comment. It means so much to me!
Absolutely delicious! Hosted 8 and every single person ate it up! Served it with a choice of feta or parmigiano reggiano -both were hits.
Thanks for sharing.
Delish! I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks Cathie!
For a luncheon where I invited 7 guests, they proved to be the perfect “guinea pigs” for the first time use of this delicious recipe. In addition to all of the great ingredients, I believe that it is the fantastic dressing that pulls it all together. Including lemon zest in the mix is the magic if you ask me. I used stevia as the sweetener to accommodate one friend who is sugar-free. I opted to leave out the feta cheese in the salad ingredients too. I placed side dishes on the table so that feta and croutons were both available for that extra pizzazz.
Each girlfriend left with a request to send them the recipe as soon as possible. So now you have 7 new followers….I’m pretty sure!
Yay! This made my day! So thrilled to hear this kale sweet potato salad was a hit! Thanks Betsy!
I’ve been trying a lot of recipes from this food blog. This probably my favorite out of all of them. Wow. This salad is amazing. The basil and lemon really send it over the top
This made my day! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Ryan! 🙂
This was a 10/10 for me! I only had green onions so I substituted those and only used 1/4 olive oil. This was exactly what I B was craving. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Brittany! 🙂