Kale and Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing (vegan)
This Kale and Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing is a cozy, nutrient-packed salad made with hearty kale, roasted sweet potatoes, and grilled onions, all tossed in a creamy citrus tahini dressing. It is warm, satisfying, and perfect for a healthy holiday side or a wholesome meal.
When the temperatures drop, I naturally crave meals that feel warm, nourishing, and comforting. This Kale and Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing delivers exactly that with roasted sweet potatoes, hearty kale, and a creamy citrus dressing that brings everything together beautifully.
I love making this salad when I want something wholesome that still feels filling. It is simple, vibrant, and packed with flavor, making it a dependable winter recipe you will find yourself coming back to again and again. This viral quinoa salad is another one I have on repeat!
Spotlight on This Kale and Sweet Potato Salad
- It’s vibrant and nutrient-dense: This winter kale and sweet potato salad is colorful, bright, and loaded with wholesome vegetables. With fiber-rich kale and roasted sweet potatoes, it’s a nourishing choice for lunch or dinner.
- It’s perfect for meal prep: Hearty kale holds up beautifully in the fridge without becoming soggy. Make it ahead and enjoy a fresh, flavorful salad all week long.
- It’s crave-worthy: Roasted vegetables paired with creamy orange tahini dressing create a flavor you’ll keep coming back to. It’s the kind of healthy salad you will crave all winter.
- It’s hearty and satisfying: The combination of kale and sweet potatoes makes this salad filling enough to enjoy as a complete meal. Perfect for when you want something nourishing that truly satisfies.
- It’s packed with seasonal flavor: This winter salad highlights cozy, seasonal ingredients while still feeling fresh and bright. It’s a delicious way to enjoy more vegetables during the colder months.
The Ingredients
For the salad, you will need the following ingredients.
Kale: Hearty kale is the foundation of this winter salad. It holds up beautifully to dressing and adds a boost of fiber, vitamins, and texture to every bite.
Sweet potato: Roasted sweet potatoes bring natural sweetness and a comforting flavor that pairs perfectly with the fresh ingredients. They also help make this salad more filling.
Red onion: Thinly sliced red onion adds a subtle sharpness that balances the sweetness of the potatoes and brightens the overall flavor.
Farro: This delicious and hearty grain is the perfect ingredient to add depth to this salad.
Oils: High-quality extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil for cooking the onions and potatoes, as well as drizzling over the kale.
Pecans: These hearty nuts are the perfect topper to this kale salad. They bring texture, healthy fats, and protein to the salad.
Golden raisins: While you can skip this ingredient if needed, they add a nice chewy and sweet texture to the salad.
To make the orange tahini dressing, you will need the following ingredients.
Tahini: This creamy sesame paste creates a rich, velvety dressing while adding healthy fats and depth of flavor.
Orange juice and zest: Fresh orange juice and orange zest give the dressing a vibrant citrus note that makes this salad taste fresh and lively.
Maple syrup: Just a touch of pure maple syrup enhances the citrus and rounds out the flavors with natural sweetness.
Apple cider vinegar: Not only is this type of vinegar healthy, but the flavor complements this salad well.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds a savory element that complements the creamy tahini dressing beautifully.
Salt and pepper: Season to taste to bring all of the flavors together and elevate the final dish.
Frequently Asked Questions
I recommend adding white beans and avocado if you’d like to include additional ingredients.
Yes! You can serve the salad either way. Serve it right away as a warm salad or chill it in the fridge before serving.
Yes! Kale holds up nicely and the salad will stay fresh for 2-3 days in the fridge. I do recommend keeping the dressing separate and tossing it into the salad when you are ready to enjoy!
Massaging the kale with a small drizzle of olive oil helps soften the leaves, making them more tender and easier to digest while improving the overall texture of the salad.
It is creamy, nutty, and slightly citrusy with a natural sweetness from the orange juice. It balances the earthy kale and roasted sweet potatoes perfectly.
Top it with roasted chickpeas, white beans, lentils, baked tofu, or avocado for a heartier plant-based meal.
Butternut squash, delicata squash, or roasted carrots are excellent substitutes that still provide warmth and natural sweetness.
The Instructions
Step one: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat, or use a non-stick pan.
Step two: Peel and chop the sweet potato into small, 1/2-inch cubes. Set the chunks onto the sheet pan, drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything until the chunks are all coated and smooth them out into one even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
Step three: While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the orange tahini dressing. Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl. This includes tahini, Dijon, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dressing and then slowly add filtered water until you have a nice creamy and runny consistency. *For me, it took about 1/4 cup of water or so.
Step four: Cook the farro by following the package instructions over the stove. (Cook farro plus water or vegetable stock at a simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat. Allow the farro to sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.)
Step five: Peel and slice the onion. Preheat the frying pan with avocado oil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and place the onion into the pan. Cook the onion slowly, for about 5-10 minutes or until it is caramelized.
Step six: Let’s assemble the salad! Start with a bed of kale in a bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, massage the kale until the leaves become slightly softened. Next, add farro, sweet potato, grilled onion, chopped pecans, and golden raisins. Last, drizzle the orange tahini dressing over the top and toss it all up.
Serve immediately for a warm salad, or place the ingredients into the fridge to chill and assemble the salad cold when you are ready to eat.
Storage
Store any leftover winter kale and sweet potato salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Because kale is a hearty green, it holds up well and will not become soggy like traditional lettuce salads.
For the best texture, store the orange tahini dressing separately if possible and toss just before serving. If the salad has already been dressed, give it a quick stir before enjoying to redistribute the flavors.
Tips and Modifications
Serve it warm or cold: This salad is especially cozy when slightly warm, but it also tastes amazing chilled.
Make sure to massage the kale. This simple step will make the kale more tender and is worth the effort.
This salad can be served in one large bowl or individual servings.
I love adding sliced avocado to this salad for an even heartier salad!
Only add as much dressing as you’d like. You may have a little leftover, but it may come in handy for leftovers.
More Vegan Salad Recipes
Israeli Couscous Vegetable Salad
Kale and Sweet Potato Salad with Orange Tahini Dressing (vegan)
Equipment
- 1 sheet pan, lined
- 1 saucepan
- 1 large salad bowl
Ingredients
- 1 Large sweet potato, peeled and cut into small, 1/2-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil *For the sweet potatoes
- 1 teaspoon salt *For the sweet potatoes
- ½ teaspoon ground pepper *For the sweet potatoes
- ½ cup dry farro
- 1⅓ cups water or vegetable broth *to cook farro in
- 1 large red or yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil *For the onions
- 1 teaspoon salt *For the onions
- 3 cups shredded kale, stems removed
- 1 teaspoon olive oil *For the kale
- ½ cup chopped, raw pecans
- ⅓ cup golden raisins
For the Orange Tahini Dressing:
- ½ cup tahini
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3 teaspoons pure maple syrup
- 1 large garlic clove
- zest from ½ of an orange
- juice from ½ of an orange *about 2 tablespoons
- about 1/4 cup water (more or less as desired)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or a silicone mat.
- Peel and chop the sweet potato into small, 1/2-inch cubes. Set the chunks onto the sheet pan, drizzle with avocado oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Toss everything until the chunks are all coated and smooth them out into one even layer. Bake for 15 minutes.
- While the sweet potatoes are cooking, make the orange tahini dressing. Place all of the ingredients into a small bowl. This includes tahini, Dijon, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic, orange zest, orange juice, and salt. Use a whisk to mix the dressing and then slowly add filtered water until you have a nice, creamy, and runny consistency. *For me, it took about 1/4 cup of water or so.
- Cook the farro by following the package instructions over the stove. (Cook farro plus water or vegetable stock at a simmer for 10 minutes with the lid on. Remove from heat. Allow the farro to sit for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.)
- Peel and slice the onion. Preheat the frying pan with avocado oil. Reduce the heat to low-medium and place the onion into the pan. Cook the onion slowly, for about 5-10 minutes or until it is caramelized.
- Let's assemble the salad! Start with a bed of kale in a bowl. Drizzle the kale with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, massage the kale until the leaves become slightly softened. Next, add farro, sweet potato, grilled onion, chopped pecans, and golden raisins. Last, drizzle the orange tahini dressing over the top and toss it all up.
- Serve immediately for a warm salad, or place the ingredients into the fridge to chill and assemble the salad cold when you are ready to eat.
