ROASTED SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD WITH CRISPY CHICKPEAS AND CREAMY ROASTED SHALLOT DRESSING
on Oct 26, 2023, Updated Aug 21, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
Roasted sweet potatoes, crispy chickpeas, and the creamiest dairy-free dressing makes for one hearty fall-inspired salad.
This is NOT your average kale salad. As you can likely tell by the title, this Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Crispy Chickpeas and Creamy Roasted Shallot Dressing is anything-but-boring! It’s full of different textures and flavors thanks to the roasted potatoes and seasoned chickpeas.
But the real reason to make this epic salad for lunch, dinner, or your next fall gathering is the dressing. It’s seriously a 12 out of 10!
I rarely pull out the food processor for something like a dressing. However, I promise this shallot dressing is well worth the minimal effort. Roasted shallots and garlic add a subtle sweetness, while Dijon mustard and apple cider vinegar give it that acidic tang that every dressing needs.
Also, I love this salad because it’s totally customizable. One of my followers added roasted delicata squash to amp up the autumn vibe, while another used my “Lazy Girl” Chicken Thighs for a complete protein-packed meal.
Go ahead and make this for your next fall-inspired meal and let me know what spin you put on it. Enjoy!
Get the Protein-Empowered digital cookbook!
Key Ingredients for Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Chickpeas
Ready to dive in? Here’s what you’ll need to make this kale salad.
- Sweet Potato: I used a regular orange sweet potato here, but go ahead and use your favorite variety. I love a white sweet potato too, especially for my Dairy-Free Mashed Potatoes.
- Kale: Look for curly kale that is dark in color. Or, go ahead and buy a bag of pre-shredded kale if that helps get this side dish on the table faster!
- Chickpeas: The spiced roasted chickpeas are a great high-protein snack option too! Look for canned organic chickpeas — and be sure to drain and rinse them off thoroughly!
- Apple: Any variety will do but I’m partial to Pink Lady apples.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Look for raw, unroasted, and unsalted. That way you can control the types of oils and the salt level here.
- Pistachios: The highest protein nut, these little gems add a bit of saltiness to the salad as well.
- Shallots: These alliums have a delicate sweet flavor that is amplified when roasted in the oven.
- Garlic: Is there anything better than roasted garlic? Paired with the shallots, it makes for one amazing dressing.
Pin this recipe for later!
Pin ItStep-by-Step How To Make Kale Sweet Potato Salad
To start, let’s get the oven preheated to 425°F.
Cut the sweet potato into 1/4-inch thick moons. Toss with 2 tablespoons of either olive or avocado oil and season with salt and pepper.
Take the drained and rinsed chickpeas and dry them off well with a paper towel or dish towel — this will help them crisp up in the oven! Remove any skins that come off. Add the chickpeas to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil or avocado oil, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper.
Add the sweet potatoes and the chickpeas to a large parchment-lined baking sheet. Add the shallots and garlic (keep the garlic in their skins). Drizzle with oil and pop into the oven to roast for 30 minutes.
After the 30 minutes is up, remove the shallots and garlic from the pan. Place the peeled garlic cloves into a food processor along with the roasted shallots, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper. Process the dressing ingredients until well incorporated and set aside until ready to use.
Toss the sweet potato and chickpeas and return to the oven to finish roasting for 7 to 10 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, remove the kale leaves from the stem. Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces.
Add the chopped kale to a large serving bowl and drizzle with olive oil. Massage with your hands until the kale breaks down a bit. This makes it easier to digest!
Once the sweet potatoes and chickpeas have finished roasting, remove them from the oven and allow them to cool slightly. Then, add them to the kale along with the diced apple, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios.
Toss the salad with the dressing. Serve up and enjoy!
Other Fall Sides To Try:
ROASTED SWEET POTATO KALE SALAD WITH ROASTED SHALLOT DRESSING
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head of curly green kale
- 1 large sweet potato, cut into ¼-inch thick moons
- 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- 1 apple, diced
- ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- 3 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil
- Salt and pepper, to season
For the Roasted Shallot Dressing:
- 2 small shallots
- 2 cloves garlic
- ½ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Cut the sweet potatoes into 1/4 inch thick moons and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil or avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pat the drained and rinsed chickpeas dry, removing any skins that shed off.
- Add the chickpeas to a small bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of oil, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper.
- Add the sweet potatoes and chickpeas to a large, parchment-lined baking sheet in a single layer.
- Add the shallots and garlic (no need to remove the skins) to the same baking sheet and drizzle with oil.
- Pop the baking sheet in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
- Remove the shallots and garlic from the baking sheet. Toss the sweet potato and chickpeas and return to the oven for another 7 to 10 minutes.
- Remove the skins from the garlic cloves and add them to a food processor along with the shallots, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
- Process the dressing ingredients until smooth and set aside.
- Remove the kale leaves from the stem and chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the chopped kale to a large bowl with a drizzle of olive oil and massage with your hands until there is little resistance.
- Once the sweet potatoes and chickpeas have finished roasting, remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly before adding to the kale along with the remainder of your salad ingredients (apple, pumpkin seeds, and pistachios).
- Toss with the dressing, serve, and ENJOY!
Notes
- The salad dressing can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to three days. Just give it a good shake before using.
- Roasted sweet potatoes can be stored in the fridge for three to five days.
- The roasted chickpeas can be stored in a container at room temperature. Cracking the container open slightly will help keep them crispy, although it may not keep hungry snackers from munching away on them!
AMAZING. I have made this twice now, and added in the “Lazy girl Chicken Thighs” instead of the chickpeas to make this a main course. It is a keeper. I never knew the trick of massaging the kale with olive oil, but it really helps take the….edge… off the kale. I adore your recipes! They are becoming a staple in our house. Thanks so much for sharing.
Very tasty! Loved the flavour combinations for this recipe. We are trying to include a variety of veggies in our diet and this one fit the bill.
Definitely saving this one!