Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing – Vegan & Gluten-Free
Few things are more satisfying than nailing a recipe on the first go at it! I will typically make a dish at the very least, 3-4 times before posting it. After taking my first bite of this salad, I knew it was bang-on and instantly totally shareable.
The two pick eaters in my house took one look at this and gave it a big, “yeah, no thank-you!” Which is a huge loss for them, because this is the most game-changing salad of all time. My hubby and middle son (who eats more than a small elephant everyday, I swear!) absolutely LOVED it. In fact, after hubby and I were all tucked in to bed with Netflix on and teeth brushed, he literally got up out of bed, went downstairs to have a few more bites, came back upstairs and had to redo his teeth and get comfy all over again! He then proceeded to eat the leftovers for breakfast at 6:30am! This is clearly some good stuff.
A few notes about prep and how to get the best out of this dish. If you are an avid kale eater, you will likely already know about how important giving it a good massage is. This makes it tender and massively reduces the bitter taste it can sometimes leave in the mouth. I usually chop up the kale first, then place in a mixing bowl and fill with water (best to do this in the sink to reduce messy-mess!), then rub the kale for about 3 minutes. I transfer to a colander/strainer and rinse well, while also massaging gently. This process will also ensure the kale is super clean.
Ok, now let’s talk about cilantro. For all you foodies out there who can’t enjoy this delicious plant from the gods, because all you taste is soapy grossness… ugh, I am so, so sorry! I love cilantro so freakin’ much that I will find a way to sneak it into nearly every dish I make for myself. But for you soapy-cilantro folks, simply leave it out of this recipe. I wouldn’t suggested swapping it for any other common fresh herb, as it would likely throw off the harmony if the dish.
If you don’t plan on serving this straight away, or if you’re portioning it for food/lunch prep, it’s best to keep the creamy sesame ginger dressing separate. After about 4-5 hours, I noticed it became a bit soggy for my (food-snob) liking. Hubby and middle son said they didn’t notice and couldn’t care less. As a perfectionist, soggy food is a no-go for me.
So there you have it! Can’t wait for you to give this a go and hear your feedback. As usual, if you have any questions about the recipe, let me know!
Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing - Vegan & Gluten-Free Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing - Vegan & Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- 2 large sweet potatoes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch SALT
- 2 cups chopped kale - tightly packed
- 1 1/2 cups cooked chickpeas
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 3 chopped green onions
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing
- 1/2 cup neutral oil - I've used grapeseed and canola
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce - I use Gluten-free
- 3 tbsp raw agave - or other liquid sweetener
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 clove garlic
- 1/2 tsp grated ginger
Instructions
Salad
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Prep a baking sheet with parchment.
- Peel and cut sweet potatoes into approx. 1 inch chunks. Place in a mixing bowl and top with olive oil and pinch of salt. Toss to coat and transfer to baking sheet.
- Place in oven and set timer to 20 minutes.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, prep kale, cilantro, green onions and dressing.
- Once timer goes off, remove baking tray and using a spatula, flip sweet potatoes.
- Return to the oven for another 15-20 minutes.
- Once sweet potatoes are done, transfer to a plate or tray and place the fridge for fast cooling (this will also prevent sweet potatoes from going too soft and possibly mushy).
- After sweet potatoes have cooled in the fridge (this took mine about 15 minutes), transfer to a large mixing bowl and add all other salad ingredients and top with dressing. Mix well.
- Serve immediately
Creamy Sesame Ginger Dressing
- In a blender (I used my little Magic Bullet), toss in all ingredients and blend until smooth.
Notes
Vegan gluten free recipes, meal plans, wellness, home | Mostly Domestic
Vegan and Gluten free food and cooking | Mostly Domestic
Vegan and Gluten free meal plans, prep and food shopping lists | Mostly Domestic
