Kale Sweet Potato Salad Recipe - Chisel & Fork (2024)

This kale sweet potato salad with barley and homemade ginger dressing is a little more hearty and filling than your typical salad, but still healthy and tasty.

I'm a big fan of sweet potatoes in salad, which is why you'll see them in many of my recipes like this quinoa sweet potato salad or kale cauliflower salad or fall harvest salad to a roasted pumpkin salad.

So I've heard more and more about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet lately with one of the stars being barley. I'll admit, until making this salad I had never had barley, at least that I can recall. Barley is one of those power foods that supposed to be beneficial for your heart while also helpful in maintaining a healthy weight.

Browsing some salads, I came across a sweet potato, arugula and wild rice salad from Cookie and Kate. I immediately knew this was the perfect vehicle to try testing out some barley.

And this kale and sweet potato salad didn't disappoint. While I loved all the ingredients in it, to me what really put it over the top was the homemade ginger salad dressing.

No it's not a traditional ginger dressing and the ingredients together may look strange, but believe me when I say it just works.

So if you're looking for a healthy salad that is more filling, this kale and sweet potato salad is the perfect choice.

Ingredient Notes

• Ginger dressing - while it is extra work than just buying at the store, it is worth the time and complements the salad.
• Barley - helps make the salad more filling and adds nutrients.
• Kale - I use curly kale for this salad and chop it up finely.
• Sweet potatoes - adds nutrients and flavor.
• Pepitas - every salad needs some crunch and this is where the pumpkin seeds come into play.
• Dried cranberries - adds some tartness to the salad.

Ingredient Swaps

As with any recipe, you can swap out ingredients. Some variations include:

• While I like the homemade ginger dressing, you can buy a dressing at the store or try a creamy balsamic dressing.
• I mentioned above that I use curly kale, but Tuscan kale works too.
• Sweet potatoes are my go-to, however butternut squash is a good substitute.
• While I like pepitas, pistachios work as well or sunflower seeds.
• Feta cheese is great for added salt, but goat cheese is a good option as well.
• I'm a fan of dried cranberries, but raisins can be used too.

Step-by-Step Photos

Make the dressing by whisking or shaking all of the ingredients together in a jar. Set aside and cook the barley according to package instructions.

Toss the sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast at 425°F for 15-20 minutes. Toss all of the ingredients together to make the salad.

FAQs

Benefits of Kale

Kale has become super popular and there is good reason for it. Some of thehealth benefitsof kale include

• Among mostnutrient-dense foodson planet.
• Great source ofVitamin CandVitamin K.
• Can lowercholesterol.
• Loaded withantioxidantsto help battle disease and illness.
• Goodsource of mineralsmost people don’t eat enough of.

Pro Tips/Recipe Notes

• Use fresh kale and chop yourself so you can easily remove the stems. Don't buy the pre-packaged chopped kale unless that's your only option.
• It is mentioned before, but massage the kale with some olive oil to make it less course and bitter.
• Be consistent with the size you dice the sweet potatoes so they cook evenly.
• If serving immediately, add the warm sweet potatoes and farro/barley to the kale right before tossing with the dressing. The kale will hold up to the warm and you'll have a nice warm salad.
• If using for leftovers or a make-ahead lunch, keep the kale separate from all the other ingredients and toss to combine in the morning or right before serving.

Other Salad Recipes

If you’ve tried this kale sweet potato salador any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow meonFacebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.

More Salad Recipes