Kale & Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad

This Kale Sweet Potato Quinoa Salad puts a smoky-spicy twist on a classic winter salad! Roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, chopped kale, and quinoa are drenched in a bold lemon-chipotle dressing to give you a wholesome meal with exciting flavors. Vegan and Gluten-Free.

Course Salad

Cuisine American, Mexican

Diet Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Method Oven

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 35

Total Time 55

Servings servings

Calories 572kcal

Author Caitlin Shoemaker

Ingredients

For the Salad:

1 15 ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup dry quinoa
1 large sweet potato peeled and diced into 1/2” pieces
1 tablespoon adobo sauce divided (from the canned chipotles)
1 teaspoon garlic powder divided
2-3 tablespoons olive oil divided
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
1 bunch curly or lacinato kale de-stemmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup finely diced red onion or shallot about 1/4 red onion or 1 small shallot
1/2 cup flat leaf parsley chopped (about 1/2 small bunch)
1/4 cup pepitas for topping

For the Dressing:

3 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon; or sub apple cider vinegar
1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo finely minced
1 clove garlic crushed or finely minced
1 teaspoon agave
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Prep: Preheat the oven to 420F and set a large baking sheet aside. Place the drained chickpeas on a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.
Cook the Quinoa: Rinse the quinoa and let drain, then add to a pot with 1 1/2 cups water (350 ml) and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil over high heat, then cover and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off and let sit for 5 minutes before fluffing; set aside to let cool.
Season: Add the dried chickpeas to a medium bowl along with 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Mix well, then transfer to one half of the prepared baking sheet. Add the sweet potato to the mixing bowl and season with the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of adobo sauce, 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, and 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of oil. Transfer to the other half of the baking sheet. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the sweet potatoes and chickpeas, or to taste.
Roast: Roast on the top rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, flipping both the sweet potatoes and chickpeas after 15 minutes of cook time.
Dressing: Add the oil, lemon juice, chipotle peppers, garlic, agave, and salt to a small jar. Seal and shake well, until emulsified. Set aside.
Combine: Add the kale to a large bowl and pour the dressing over it; massage with clean hands until translucent and reduced in size by about half. Add the cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potato, chickpeas*, onion, and parsley to the bowl. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste, if necessary. *Note: if you plan on having leftovers, I recommend storing the chickpeas separately and sprinkling them right on top of the salad so they remain crunchy.
Serve & Store: Top with pepitas and serve immediately, or let sit in the fridge for 15 minutes to chill and allow all flavors to combine. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

Chipotles in Adobo: You can find canned chipotles in adobo in the International or Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. For a milder heat you can also omit the adobo sauce from the roasted vegetables and replace the chopped chiles with 1/4 (mild) to 1/2 teaspoon (medium heat) of chipotle powder in the dressing.

Nutrition