Roasted Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Kale Salad
Serves: ~5 Time: 35 Minutes + 1 Hour (to chill)
This Fall flavored recipe can make for an excellent side dish to your Thanksgiving dinner or just something to have ready-made for lunch throughout the week. The kale adds a nice crisp which is complemented by the sweet potatoes and nutty pepitas. It’s heart-healthy and packed with plant-based energy to fuel your day!
Ingredients
- 2 cups lightly packed kale (rinsed, dried, and de-stemmed)
- 1 cup quinoa (cooked and chilled)
- 1 small red onion, quartered and thinly sliced
- 1 cup sweet potato (roasted and chilled)
- 1 cup thinly sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 Tbs pepitas
- 1 Tbs Dried Cranberries
- Optional: creamy goat cheese (crumbled on top) or tahini dressing
Directions
Initial prep
First, we must prepare the quinoa and sweet potato in advance to make time for cooling! Begin by preheating the oven to 400ºF. Then, dice the sweet potato into small cubes (peeling is optional) and spread out on a baking sheet. Gently rub the sweet potato in a splash of olive oil and sprinkle with a touch of salt. Place the baking tray in the oven and let roast for about 35-40 minutes, or until the cubes have begun to crispen lightly and the sweet potato is soft when poked with a fork.
Now that that’s going, in a stovetop pot, heat two cups of water (optionally add a vegetable bouillon cube or cook with two cups of vegetable broth) and bring to a boil. Add one cup of uncooked quinoa to the pot. Cover the pot and reduce heat to a medium-low and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. The water should be fully absorbed by the quinoa, keep the heat on low until that has been achieved.
Once the quinoa is cooked and the sweet potato has been roasted, remove from their cooking surfaces and transfer to bowl and place in the refrigerator. Chill for about an hour.
Secondary prep
In the meantime, you can prepare the rest of the vegetables for your salad.
Be sure to rinse, dry, and remove kale from their thick stems. Roughly chop the kale and add to a large salad bowl.
Next, chop the red onion and mushrooms and add to the bowl.
Final assembly!
Once your other ingredients have cooled sufficiently, add the quinoa and sweet potato to your salad bowl and toss with pepitas and dried cranberries. Add the dressing to the salad if desired and continue to toss until it’s fully incorporated. Serve and enjoy!
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