Description
A vibrant and nutritious creamy kale and sweet potato salad featuring roasted sweet potatoes and spiced chickpeas, combined with a rich cashew-based dressing. This plant-based recipe is packed with flavor and perfect as a wholesome lunch or side dish.
Ingredients
Scale
Salad Ingredients
- 2 large (500g) sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into bite-size pieces
- 400 g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 200 g kale, roughly chopped
- 1 pinch chilli flakes (optional)
- 1 drizzle olive oil
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- A handful of chopped fresh parsley
Dressing Ingredients
- 150 g cashews
- 2 roasted cloves of garlic
- 6 tablespoons almond milk
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (optional)
- 2 teaspoons smooth Dijon mustard
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Preheat Oven: Set your oven to 190°C (375°F) on fan setting to ensure even roasting for the sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
- Roast Sweet Potatoes and Chickpeas: On a baking tray, combine the sweet potato chunks and drained chickpeas. Drizzle with olive oil, ground cumin, paprika, and a pinch of salt. Toss well to coat everything evenly. Roast in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes until the sweet potatoes are tender and starting to soften.
- Prepare Dressing: While the vegetables roast, add cashews, roasted garlic cloves, almond milk, nutritional yeast (if using), Dijon mustard, lemon juice, and salt into a powerful blender. Blend until you get a smooth, creamy dressing consistency.
- Massage Kale: Place the kale in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkling of salt. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves gently for a few minutes until the leaves soften and darken in color. Pour the prepared dressing over the kale and continue to rub it into the leaves, ensuring the kale is well coated and tender.
- Combine and Serve: Remove the roasted sweet potatoes and chickpeas from the oven and let them cool slightly. Toss them through the dressed kale in the mixing bowl. Transfer the salad to a serving bowl and garnish with chopped fresh parsley, a crack of black pepper, and a pinch of chilli flakes if desired for a spicy kick.
Notes
- You can roast the garlic for the dressing for a sweeter, milder taste if desired.
- Substitute almond milk with any other plant-based milk if preferred.
- For extra protein, add some toasted pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds as a topping.
- This salad is best eaten fresh but can be stored in the fridge up to 2 days in an airtight container.
- Adjust the chilli flakes based on your spice preference or omit for a milder salad.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 35 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Roasting and Mixing
- Cuisine: Vegetarian, Plant-based
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl (approx. 250g)
- Calories: 320 kcal
- Sugar: 6 g
- Sodium: 230 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 8 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: kale salad, sweet potato salad, creamy salad, vegan salad, healthy salad, cashew dressing, roasted chickpeas
