Kale Sweet Potato Salad

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.

The BEST Kale Sweet Potato Salad

This salad has become my weekly staple; I can’t stop making it!

It’s perfect for weekly meal prep—I either keep the ingredients separate for daily assembly or layer them in a Mason jar for an easy grab-and-go option.

Packed with fiber and plant-based protein, it’s incredibly nutritious. For an extra protein boost, I sometimes toss in baked or grilled chicken.

Kale Sweet Potato Salad Ingredients

• Couscous: Small-grain, Moroccan-style couscous are tiny pasta balls that steam quickly and evenly.
• Sweet potatoes: Roast until they start to caramelize and are fork tender.
• Kale: Chopped very finely for the very best texture.
• Red onion: Soak in cool water to lessen the sharpness.
• Black beans: Rinse and drain before using.
• Feta cheese: Or use goat cheese if you prefer.
• Pistachios: Pick dry-roasted for more flavor.

Dressing

• Basil: Use fresh; pack it in the measuring cup.
• Lemon: Use a microplane for the zest; juice with a citrus juicer.
• Honey: Sweeten to taste preferences.
• Dijon mustard: Adds depth and tang, plus thickens the dressing.
• Garlic: Use jarred for convenience.

How To Make Kale Sweet Potato Salad

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.

More Salad Recipes:

• Costco Kale Salad
• Kale Avocado Salad
• Mexican Salad
• Mediterranean Orzo Salad
• Kale Cranberry Pecan Salad

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5 from 3 votes

Kale Sweet Potato Salad

By Chelsea Lords

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.

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings (as a main; 8 as a side)

Ingredients  

1x2x3x

Salad

• ▢ ½ cup couscous, plus ½ cup water
• ▢ 3 cups diced sweet potatoes, plus 1 tbsp oil
• ▢ 2 cups finely chopped kale (Note 1)
• ▢ ½ cup finely diced red onion, optional
• ▢ 1 can (15.5 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
• ▢ ½ cup crumbled feta cheese (add to preference)
• ▢ ½ cup pistachios, coarsely pulsed

Dressing (Note 2)

• ▢ ¼ cup tightly packed fresh basil
• ▢ ½ cup each: olive oil & lemon juice (plus 1 tsp lemon zest) (Note 3)
• ▢ 2-3 tablespoons honey (add to sweetness preference)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ▢ ½ teaspoon minced garlic
• ▢ Salt & pepper  (¼ tsp salt and ⅛ tsp pepper)

Instructions 

• COUSCOUS: In a medium pot, bring ½ cup water and ¼ 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 for 5 minutes. Then, fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Set aside.
• SWEET POTATOES: Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into¾-inch pieces, ensuring you have 3 cups. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tbsp of oil, ½ tsp salt, and ⅛ tsp pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan (leaving spaces between the pieces) and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the pieces and roast for an additional 10-15 minutes until tender. Let cool.
• DRESSING: In a mini blender or food processor, blend dressing ingredients until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. Transfer the dressing to a Mason jar and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
• MARINATE KALE: 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.
• PISTACHIOS: Use a nut grinder or food processor to coarsely chop the pistachios, aiming for a mix of coarsely chopped nuts and some powder.
• ASSEMBLY: 

  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.

Recipe Notes

Note 1: Kale: 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.

Note 2: Dressing: This dressing may yield more than you need for the salad. Add gradually and to taste preference. The longer the salad sits, the more dressing it may need as the couscous absorbs it.

Note 3: Tools: Use a microplane for the zest; juice with a citrus juicer.

Note 4: 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.

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.

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