This vegetarian roasted candy potato kale salad options maple-candied pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and a selfmade creamy tahini maple dressing. It’s candy, salty, crunchy, and creamy—positively not your common kale salad!
Recipe Highlights
- Simple, Wholesome, & Vegetarian: With simply 10 minutes of prep (and 35 minutes of idle time for roasting the candy potatoes), it is a fast, simple, and wholesome vegetarian meal that works for each dinner and lunch. It is full of vitamins!
- Taste & Texture Selection: I like the combo of flavors and textures on this salad—roasted candy potatoes, maple-candied pecans, cranberries, feta, and massaged kale all come collectively for an ideal stability of candy, creamy, roasted, savory, and crunchy.
- Distinctive Dressing: The dressing was one other win. I blended tahini with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, adjusting the consistency with water till it was good—creamy however drizzle-able.
- 12 months-Spherical Salad, Excellent for Holidays: Each ingredient on this recipe may be discovered year-round, however I can already see that this Candy Potato Kale Salad can be my new favourite Fall salad for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It has all these heat, cozy flavors which might be good for the season.
- Nice for Leftovers: I like that this salad retains properly within the fridge (for as much as 3 days), even with the dressing already combined in. The kale doesn’t get soggy, so it’s good for meal prep!
Ingredient Notes
- Candy Potatoes – Roast them upfront for straightforward prep. You’ll want 1 giant candy potato (or 2 medium-sized), peeled and minimize into ½” cubes.
- Pecans – Candying them with maple syrup and cinnamon makes them crunchy and candy. Retailer individually to maintain them crisp.
- Kale – Therapeutic massage with cooking vegetable oil to melt the leaves and take away bitterness – see my suggestions beneath. It holds up properly, making this salad nice for meal prep.
- Dried Cranberries – Add tartness + sweetness. You may as well use dried figs, cherries, or dried blueberries as a substitute.
- Feta Cheese – Gives a salty, creamy distinction. Goat cheese works instead.
- Tahini Maple Dressing – I made it by mixing tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, salt, pepper, water, and impartial oil (equivalent to canola or any vegetable cooking oil) till clean. I wish to make it forward, hold it in a small air-tight glass jar or mason jar, and shake earlier than utilizing. Modify thickness with water.
- Oil – Used for roasting the candy potatoes and massaging kale. Any impartial cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil works properly.
- Garlic Powder – Provides depth to the roasted candy potatoes. You may as well use recent minced garlic.
- Maple Syrup – Utilized in each the dressing and pecans for pure sweetness. Honey is another.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – Gives acidity within the dressing to stability flavors. Lemon juice may be substituted.
- Salt & Pepper – Enhances all of the flavors. Modify to style.
- Word: Full elements (with quantities) and directions are within the recipe card beneath. You may scroll down or use this leap to recipe shortcut.
How one can make Candy Potato Kale Salad
Word: This recipe overview consists of step-by-step photographs, suggestions, and methods. To skip forward to the total recipe with ingredient quantities, click on right here. First, I roasted the candy potatoes with a easy seasoning of garlic powder, salt, and pepper within the preheated oven at 400°F till golden and barely crispy.
In the meantime, I made the maple candied pecans—as a result of plain nuts weren’t going to chop it. Toasting them first brings out their taste, and the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla create that impossible to resist crunch.
The dressing was one other win. I blended tahini with maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, adjusting the consistency with water till it was good—creamy however drizzle-able.
As soon as every part was prepared, I tossed the kale with a little bit of oil and massaged it (sure, it makes a distinction), then layered within the candy potatoes, pecans, cranberries, and feta. A beneficiant drizzle of the dressing, and this salad was good to go.
How To Put together Kale for Salads
- Take away the Stems: I at all times strip the leaves from the powerful stems since they are often too fibrous for salads. A fast manner is to fold the leaf in half and run a knife alongside the stem, or simply tear them off by hand.
- Chop into Chew-Sized Items: I’ve discovered that chopping kale into smaller items makes it a lot simpler to eat. Too-large items may be powerful and chewy, so I intention for roughly 1-inch items.
- Therapeutic massage the Kale: This step makes an enormous distinction! I drizzle a bit of oil and a pinch of salt over the chopped kale, then use my arms to therapeutic massage it for a few minute. It softens the feel and reduces bitterness.
- Let It Sit: If I’ve time, I let the massaged kale relaxation for 10–quarter-hour earlier than including different elements. It turns into much more tender and absorbs flavors higher.
- Use a Daring Dressing: Kale stands up properly to wealthy, creamy, or tangy dressings. I’ve examined it with vinaigrettes, tahini-based dressings, and even citrusy choices—all work nice!
- Make It Forward: Not like different greens, kale doesn’t wilt rapidly. I usually prep it upfront, retailer it in an hermetic container, and it stays recent for days, making meal prep tremendous simple.
Variations
- Spicy: Including some chili flakes into your dressing or on the candy potatoes will add a kick to your salad!
- Ball jar salad: If you’re taking this on the go and don’t wish to gown your salad beforehand, add all of the elements besides the dressing right into a Ball jar. As soon as able to eat, place in a bowl and gown!
- Contemporary fruit: Apples, pears, and persimmons would work nice with this salad!
Substitutions
- Squash: Butternut, Acorn, and even Kabocha squash are nice options to candy potato! Simply observe the identical steps as you’d for baking the cubed candy potatoes.
- Nuts: Walnuts, hazelnuts, pine nuts are all good substitutes for pecans.
- Vinegar: Change the apple cider vinegar with white vinegar for those who like!
- Curly Kale: Although dinosaur kale is the proper leafy inexperienced for this salad, curly kale also can work. You’ll need to therapeutic massage it with the oil, salt, and pepper a bit of extra to interrupt it down, because it tends to be a tad extra dense and chewy than dino kale.
- Unsalted/Unsweetened Creamy Peanut Butter: You should utilize unsalted and unsweetened creamy peanut butter instead of tahini if wanted! Even almond or cashew butter could be nice!
Ideas for Success
- When making the dressing, a really impartial oil like canola or vegetable oil is finest as a result of it has little or no taste to it, thus permitting the opposite flavors and elements to face out. We extremely don’t advocate utilizing olive oil as it could possibly get bitter when blended.
- When utilizing an immersion blender for making dressing, it’s at all times finest to place all of your elements on the underside after which the oil on high. If you mix, be sure that to stay the blender all the way in which on the underside first. As you mix, carry the stick up and it’ll suck the oil down, emulsifying the elements collectively for a smoother, higher consistency and has much less of an opportunity to “break.”
Make-Forward Ideas
Roasted candy potato kale salad is ideal for making forward! I wish to roast the candy potatoes and put together the candied pecans upfront, storing them individually in hermetic containers. The dressing may also be made forward and stored within the fridge for as much as per week—simply give it shake earlier than utilizing.
Since kale holds up properly, I therapeutic massage it forward of time and retailer it within the fridge till I’m able to assemble. When it’s time to eat, I merely toss every part collectively, drizzle on the dressing, and it’s good to go. This makes it an important possibility for meal prep, potlucks, or vacation gatherings!
Storage Ideas
- The leftovers can last as long as 3 days in an hermetic container within the fridge. It is best to retailer the salad dressing and candied pecans individually from the remainder of the elements. Nonetheless, the salad with the dressing will nonetheless maintain up properly within the fridge for as much as 3 days because the kale doesn’t get soggy like different greens.
- Don’t freeze salad!
Extra Salad Recipes
- Roasted Candy Potato Salad with Spinach, Apples, Cranberries, Pecans, Pumpkin Seeds, and Maple-Lime Dressing
- Roasted Brussels Sprouts and Cinnamon Butternut Squash Salad with Pecans and Cranberries
- Apple Spinach Salad with Honey-Mustard Lemon Dressing
- Strawberry and Blueberry Spinach Salad with Pecans and Balsamic Dressing
- Roasted Butternut Squash Pasta Salad with Spinach, Cranberries, and Pumpkin Seeds
Roasted Candy Potato Kale Salad
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This vegetarian roasted candy potato kale salad options maple-candied pecans, dried cranberries, crumbled feta, and a selfmade creamy tahini maple dressing. It’s candy, salty, crunchy, and creamy. It retains properly within the fridge (for as much as 3 days), so it’s good for meal prep, leftovers, making forward, potlucks, and vacation gatherings!
Servings 6
Energy 677kcal
Elements
Roasted Candy Potatoes
- 1 giant candy potato (or 2 medium) peeled and minimize into ½” cubes
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil any form works properly
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- salt and pepper to style
Candied Pecans
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
Tahini Maple Dressing (Makes roughly 1 cup)
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to style
- ¼-½ cup water as wanted
- ½ cup impartial cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil
Salad
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale (lacinato kale), stems eliminated, chopped into giant items
- 1 tablespoon impartial cooking oil like canola or vegetable oil
- salt and pepper to style
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Directions
Roasted Candy Potatoes
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Preheat your oven to 400 levels. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
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In a medium bowl, toss candy potatoes, oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper till coated. Pour onto the parchment paper lined baking sheet and bake for 25-Half-hour till golden brown. Take away from the oven and let cool on the baking sheet.
Maple Candied Pecans
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Whereas the candy potato is roasting, warmth a medium pan on medium warmth with no oil. Toast the pecans for about 6-7 minutes till aromatic, often shifting them round in order that they don’t burn on one aspect.
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Pour the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract over the pecans and cook dinner till the syrup begins to change into sticky and thicken ensuring to coat the pecans.
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Flip off the warmth, sprinkle with salt, stir to coat the pecans. As soon as coated, switch to a plate to chill utterly and harden.
Tahini Maple Dressing
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Place the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, garlic clove, salt, pepper, and water, with the oil final and on high in a measuring cup or tall glass and mix with an immersion blender till clean. Style and modify with salt or pepper.
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Skinny out with extra water if it feels too thick.
Salad Meeting
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In a big serving bowl, mix the kale, oil, salt, and pepper. Therapeutic massage the kale along with your arms till totally coated.
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Add the cooled candy potato, maple candied pecans, cranberries, and feta cheese randomly on high.
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Drizzle with the tahini maple dressing, add salt and pepper to style, serve, and revel in!
Notes
- Candy Potato Options: Use butternut, acorn, or kabocha squash as a substitute of candy potatoes, following the identical roasting steps.
- Nut Substitutes: Swap pecans for walnuts, hazelnuts, or pine nuts.
- Vinegar Choice: White vinegar works instead of apple cider vinegar.
- Dried Fruit Variations: Use dried figs, cherries, or blueberries as a substitute of cranberries for a unique taste.
- Cheese Swap: Goat cheese can substitute feta for the same creamy, salty distinction.
- Kale Choices: I used Dinasour Kale (Lacinato). Curly kale works, too, however wants additional massaging to melt its more durable texture.
- Tahini Substitute: Unsalted, unsweetened peanut, almond, or cashew butter can substitute tahini.
- Make it Spicy: Add chili flakes to the dressing or roasted candy potatoes for warmth.
- Add Fruit: Apples, pears, or persimmons pair properly with this salad.
- Storage Ideas: Retailer the leftover candy potato kale salad in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3 days. For one of the best texture, retailer the dressing and candied pecans individually; nonetheless, even with the dressing combined in, the salad ought to keep properly within the fridge as a result of kale doesn’t get soggy like different greens.
Diet
Energy: 677kcal | Carbohydrates: 40g | Protein: 9g | Fats: 56g | Saturated Fats: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 16g | Monounsaturated Fats: 31g | Trans Fats: 0.1g | Ldl cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 471mg | Potassium: 575mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 22g | Vitamin A: 12636IU | Vitamin C: 44mg | Calcium: 286mg | Iron: 2mg
