Sweet Potato Kale Salad
Published on October 22, 2025
Quick Summary
This Sweet Potato Kale Salad is fresh, flavorful, and packed with nourishing ingredients like roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, kale, quinoa, and a tangy maple Dijon dressing. It’s perfect for lunch, dinner, meal prep, or a beautiful holiday side dish. A wholesome salad everyone will love!
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Pin ItA Hearty, Healthy, and Flavorful Fall Salad
This sweet potato kale salad is the kind of salad that makes you excited to eat your greens. It’s hearty, colorful, and bursting with flavor and texture. It starts with roasted sweet potatoes and crispy chickpeas; warm, caramelized, and perfectly seasoned. Then there’s a bed of fresh kale that holds up beautifully to all the toppings, fluffy quinoa for a little extra substance, crisp honeycrisp apple for sweetness, toasted pepitas for crunch, and thinly sliced red onion to bring everything to life.
The flavors are so well balanced; sweet, savory, tangy, and fresh! This salad has it all…and the maple Dijon dressing ties it all together in the best way. It’s beautiful to serve, satisfying to eat, and makes a delicious, wholesome meal.
This is one of my favorite salads to make in the fall, when sweet potatoes and apples are at their peak. It’s perfect for a cozy lunch or dinner, stunning on a holiday table, and holds up wonderfully for meal prep. If you’re looking for a salad that is loaded with flavor, texture, color, and comfort, this is the one!
Ingredients with Helpful Notes
- Sweet Potato: Roasting brings out their natural sweetness and gives the salad substance. Cut into even cubes for even cooking.
- Chickpeas: Get lightly crispy in the oven and add plant-based protein. Make sure they’re well-drained and dried before roasting for the best texture.
- Olive Oil & Spices: A simple mix of paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and salt adds big flavor to the sweet potatoes and chickpeas.
- Kale: I prefer Lacinato kale (also called dinosaur kale) because it’s tender, hearty, and has a mild flavor that works so well in salads.
- Quinoa: Adds extra protein and makes the salad satisfying. Cook ahead and cool before mixing in.
- Apple: I love Honeycrisp for its crisp, juicy texture, but any sweet-tart variety works.
- Pepitas: Toasted pumpkin seeds give a great crunch. Pecans or walnuts are also good in this salad.
- Red Onion: Adds a punchy, fresh bite to balance the sweetness.
- Maple Dijon Dressing: Tangy, slightly sweet, and the perfect finish. You can make it ahead of time and store it in the fridge.
Tips for Making the Salad
- Roast properly: Spread sweet potatoes and chickpeas in a single layer so they crisp up instead of steam.
- Finely chop the kale: Finely chop for the best texture and easier eating. A sharp chef’s knife works best. Stack a few leaves, roll them up, then slice thinly before chopping crosswise. You can also give it a quick massage with a little dressing or olive oil to soften it.
- Cool the ingredients: Let the sweet potatoes and chickpeas cool slightly before assembling the salad to avoid wilting the greens. Also, make sure your quinoa is at room temperature before adding it to the salad.
- Dress right before serving: If you’re prepping ahead, keep the dressing separate until you’re ready to eat.
- Customize it: Add feta or goat cheese for creaminess, or toss in dried cranberries for extra fall vibes.
Sweet Potato Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2 cups)
- 15 oz can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 cups finely chopped kale
- 1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa*
- 1 honeycrisp apple, chopped (about 1 cup)
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1/4 cup sliced red onion
For the dressing:
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 small garlic clove, minced
- Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the sweet potato cubes and chickpeas on a large baking sheet. Drizzle with olive and toss until well coated. Sprinkle with paprika, garlic powder, cumin, and salt. Toss again until well coated. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender and chickpeas slightly crispy. Remove from oven and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large bowl, combine sweet potatoes, chickpeas, kale, quinoa, apple, pepitas, and red onion.
- In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, garlic, salt, and pepper.
- Drizzle the dressing over the salad and stir until well combined. Serve.
Notes
- Fridge: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Meal prep: Keep the ingredients and dressing separate and toss just before serving for the freshest texture.
- Re-crisp chickpeas: If you want the chickpeas extra crunchy again, pop them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes before eating.
Nutrition
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