Kale Salad with Quinoa Sweet Potatoes and Shallot Vinaigrette! I know, I know. You are thinking “another kale salad, ugh!” Well this is not just another kale salad recipe. This is probably one of the best kale salads you will eat, and that is because of the shallot vinaigrette.
The shallot vinaigrette takes the salad up another notch. It of course has a hefty amount of minced shallots, but there are other flavors from the Dijon mustard and red wine vinegar. There is also a little drizzle of honey to round out all the tang. My favorite part about this salad is that it is very filling. Our lunches for the week are usually vegetarian so this was perfect for us. The quinoa is full of protein and sweet potatoes make it more filling. I really prefer the Lacinato (aka Tuscan) kale here as it is very tender almost spinach like, but by all means use what you can find.
- 1 large sweet potato (about 1½ pound), peeled and diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1¼ cup quinoa
- 2 bunches of kale (preferably Lacinato), leaves and tender stems thinly sliced
- ½ cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- Vinaigrette
- 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
- ¾ tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey, (alternatively maple syrup if vegan)
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- few grinds of black pepper
- ¼ cup finely chopped shallots, about 1 large shallot
- Preheat the oven to 375
- Toss the diced sweet potato with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes or until tender and golden brown. Allow to cool.
- Rinse the qunioa in cold water. Place in a saucepan with two cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down to low. Let simmer until the quinoa is tender and most of the water has evaporated or about 15-18 minutes. Let it sit covered for an additional 15 minutes. Allow to cool.
- In a very large bowl, whisk together the red wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, olive oil, salt and pepper. Stir in the shallots. Add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale and pumpkin seeds. Stir well to combine. Serve.
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Looks delicious!
Thank you!
I’m not a big fan of shallots but this is one salad I would definitely try. I like how you incorporate the honey and wine, and sweet potatoes for an added sweetness. A must keep!
Oh no! You don’t like shallots. Maybe you could add some chopped red onions to the salad itself.
This is fantastic! It’s one of my go to’s especially now that it’s getting pretty hot here in Arizona. I’ve used toasted sunflower seeds or whatever nut I might have on hand if I don’t have pumpkin seeds. Just a thought. Thanks for a great salad!
Heather I am so happy you love it! It’s a favorite of ours! Good call to use whatever nut you have on hand. I just like the crunch the pumpkin seeds add so I agree any nut probably works.