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This Quinoa Kale Salad with Sweet Potato is loaded with roasted sweet potato, walnuts and dried cranberries, all tossed in a simple lemon maple dijon dressing. It comes together in just 35 minutes and keeps well in the fridge for easy make-ahead lunches.
Notes From My Kitchen
This quinoa kale salad first went up on the blog back in 2020, and it’s been saved hundreds of times on Pinterest since then. I gave the post a refresh with more tips, recipe variations and make-ahead info, but the recipe itself is the same one you know and love.
It’s made with just a handful of simple ingredients: fluffy quinoa, hearty kale, fresh parsley, caramelized sweet potato, crunchy walnuts and sweet-tart cranberries. The warm sweet potato softens the kale as you toss everything together, which means no massaging required.
I love serving this sweet potato quinoa salad as a side for fall dinners and holiday meals, but it’s also hearty enough for lunch with a protein added in. If you love fall salads, you’ll also want to try my Fall Harvest Quinoa Salad and this Butternut Squash Kale Salad.
Recipe Highlights
- Simple ingredients: Just six main salad ingredients and a quick dressing you can shake together in a jar.
- Great for meal prep: Kale is sturdy, so this salad holds up in the fridge for days without wilting like lettuce does.
- Warm or cold: Toss it together while the sweet potato is still warm for a cozy dinner side, or enjoy it chilled straight from the fridge.
- Perfect for fall gatherings: The colours and flavours make it a great make-ahead side for Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving.
- Easy to customize: Add chicken, feta or chickpeas to turn it into a filling main (see the recipe variations below).
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sweet potato: Roasting brings out its natural sweetness and gives it golden, caramelized edges. Butternut squash or delicata squash work well too. If you have extra sweet potatoes, try my Parmesan Crusted Sweet Potatoes.
- Quinoa: Any colour of quinoa works here. Cooking it in vegetable broth instead of water adds a lot of extra flavour. You can also use leftover cooked quinoa from the fridge.
- Kale: Curly or lacinato (Tuscan) kale both work. Remove the tough stems and chop the leaves finely so they’re easy to eat. Baby spinach can be used instead, but it’s more delicate and best eaten the same day.
- Lemon maple dijon dressing: Olive oil, lemon juice, dijon, maple syrup and garlic powder make a bright, tangy dressing that isn’t too heavy. For a creamier option, try it with my Green Goddess Dressing.
How To Make Quinoa Kale Salad With Sweet Potato
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Toss the cubed sweet potato with olive oil and roast at 400°F for 20 to 25 minutes, until tender and golden.
Step 2: While the sweet potato roasts, cook the quinoa and shake the dressing ingredients together in a jar.
Step 3: Add the kale, quinoa, parsley, walnuts, cranberries and roasted sweet potato to a large mixing bowl.
Step 4: Pour over half the dressing and toss together. Add more dressing to taste and season with salt and pepper.
Recipe Variations
- Add protein: Top it with grilled or shredded chicken, baked salmon, a soft-boiled egg or chickpeas to make it a filling main. The crispy chickpeas from my Chickpea Halloumi Salad are delicious here.
- Add cheese: Crumbled feta, goat cheese or shaved Parmesan add a salty, savoury bite.
- Add fresh fruit: Diced apple, pear or pomegranate seeds add a juicy, crisp contrast. If you love that combo, try my Kale Quinoa And Apple Salad.
- Make it nut-free: Swap the walnuts for pepitas or sunflower seeds.
What To Serve With This Salad
This quinoa kale salad is a great side for a holiday table next to roast turkey or chicken. For a cozy fall dinner, pair it with a bowl of my Tuscan White Bean Soup With Kale or Roasted Broccoli And Cauliflower Soup. For lunch, add a protein from the variations above and you’ve got a complete meal.
How To Store
Store the undressed salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days, with the dressing in a separate jar. Once dressed, it’s best eaten within 2 days. I don’t recommend freezing this salad, since the kale and sweet potato get mushy once thawed.
Jess’s Tips
- Toss the kale with the warm sweet potato: The heat from the sweet potato softens the kale, so there’s no need to massage it first.
- Cut the sweet potato small: Bite-sized cubes (about 1/2 inch) roast faster and are easier to eat in every forkful.
- Don’t crowd the pan: Spread the sweet potato out in a single layer so it caramelizes instead of steaming.
- Fluff and cool the quinoa: Let the cooked quinoa sit for a few minutes, then fluff it with a fork so it stays light and doesn’t clump in the salad. If you have extra quinoa use it to make my famous Mediterranean Quinoa Salad!
- Bring the dressing to room temperature: Olive oil can firm up in the fridge. Let the dressing sit out for 5 to 10 minutes and give it a good shake before using.
Frequently Asked Questions
Nope! Tossing the kale with the dressing and the warm roasted sweet potato makes it tender on its own. If you’re making the salad with cold sweet potato, give the kale a quick 30-second massage with a little of the dressing first.
Yes, it’s a great make-ahead salad. You can roast the sweet potato and cook the quinoa a few days in advance, then toss everything together when you’re ready to serve.
Both! It’s delicious slightly warm right after the sweet potato comes out of the oven, and just as good cold from the fridge the next day.
Try These Salad Recipes Next!
If you tried this Quinoa Kale Salad with Sweet Potato leave a review below and tag me @choosingchia on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook I love seeing your recreations!
Quinoa Kale Salad with Sweet Potato
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Side
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Quinoa Kale Salad with Sweet Potato is made with 6 simple ingredients that when combined together create the most delicious salad!
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups quinoa, cooked (1 cup uncooked)
- 3 cups kale, chopped
- 1/2 cup parsley, chopped
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
- 1/4 cup dried cranberries
Dressing
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tbsp maple syrup
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Roast the sweet potato: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Toss the sweet potato with the olive oil then spread onto the baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked.
- Make the dressing: Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl or jar.
- Make the salad: Mix all the salad ingredients together in a large mixing bowl pour the dressing, starting with half of it, onto the salad and mix together. Add more dressing to your desired taste and season with salt and pepper.
Notes
Try cooking your quinoa in some veggie broth for extra flavour. This is one of my favourite ways to create a flavourful quinoa salad.
Cut the sweet potato into small cubes. They’ll be easier to eat in the salad if they are in bite-sized pieces.
If you want the salad to store well in the fridge, keep the dressing separate from the salad and only dress the salad when you serve it. If you dress the entire salad, it will keep well for about 2 days. If you leave the dressing separately, the salad will last 5 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6th recipe
- Calories: 239
- Fat: 12g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 3.7g
- Protein: 7g
I dont like kale what can I replace it
Feel free to use spinach or any other dark leafy green!
So good! Also very pretty! Used pomegranate instead of cranberries cause I don’t like cranberries and added feta and it was perfect! The dressing was also surprisingly good
So happy you loved it! Pomegranate is such a great swap in this salad too 🙂
This was really good. It was easier to make because I didn’t have a lot of ingredients but what this recipe
calls for is stuff most people have in their pantry. I did substitute raisins because I didn’t have dried cranberries. There was some leftover and I had it for lunch the next day and it was even better! It had even more flavor the next day.
Happy you enjoyed it!
I’ve been having this salad on repeat for the past few weeks. It’s delicious, and is even better after it sits overnight. Thanks!
So glad you’re enjoying it Jessica! 🙂
I really liked this quinoa kale salad!
The 2 cups of quinoa are after its cooked or 2 cups of quinoa that one cooks.? If the former howuch would that be raw?
Hi Sherri, it would be about 1 cup uncooked!
Thank you!!