Sweet Potato Salad With Kale, Beets & Smokey Tahini Dressing
This vegan roasted sweet potato salad is made with kale, beets, and a smoked paprika-tahini dressing. It’s super hearty, nourishing, and easy to make. Can be enjoyed warm or cold.
Looking for a hearty, filling salad recipe? You’ve come to the right place! This vegan sweet potato salad is packed with nutritious ingredients and the most delicious cumin, smoked paprika and tahini dressing to tie it all together!
This recipe is easy to make and can be made in advance (I love it for a make-ahead lunch). You can enjoy it as a side salad or a main – I’ve included some additional protein pairing ideas for you below if you want to make it a main dish!
As always, as a dietitian I’m happy to share that this recipe is filled with fiber-rich starches, healthy fats, and plenty of veggies. I share more about the unique nutrition benefits of the key ingredients below if interested. Enjoy!
Want more delicious, hearty salad recipe inspiration? Check out my roundup of 15+ easy, healthy fall and winter salad recipes for more ideas!
Ingredients Needed
All you need to make this sweet potato salad are 11 simple ingredients:
- sweet potatoes
- kale
- beets
- pecans
- raisins
- tahini
- lemon
- garlic
- cumin
- smoked paprika
- maple syrup
Full ingredient measurements and detailed instructions are located in the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
Recipe Modifications & Swaps
- If you’re not vegan, feel free to use honey in place of maple syrup in the dressing.
- If you’d like, you can purchase and use pre-steamed baby beets in place of the roasted beets. They are definitely a little less messy and quick to use. Otherwise, golden beets are also an option in place of red beets.
- I used curly/green kale for this recipe, but chopped lacinato/dinosaur kale would work as well.
- I used Thompson raisins for this recipe, but feel free to use another type (like golden raisins) or even some dried cranberries instead.
Optional Protein Ideas
While you will find some smaller amounts of protein from the tahini and pecans, feel free to serve this alongside your favourite protein/main dish. If you’d like to enjoy this sweet potato salad as a main meal, you can also throw some protein options directly into it.
Here are some ideas:
- hard boiled eggs (this is how I’ve been eating this recipe!)
- chickpeas (roasted or canned)
- sautéed shrimp (I also made this recipe with these smoked paprika shrimp – they went perfectly!)
- grilled or baked chicken
- crispy baked tofu
Can You Make This Salad In Advance?
Yes! Kale salads always hold up really well, as I find the ingredients continue to absorb the flavours of the dressing and the kale softens a bit. Simply store it in an airtight container in the fridge.
Feel free to make this one in advance, or keep leftovers for a day or two! It makes a great packed or work-from-home lunch option 🙂
Sweet Potato Nutrition Benefits
Sweet potatoes are a great source of dietary fibre, with one medium-sized sweet potato providing almost 4 grams (15% of your daily needs).
From a micronutrient standpoint, sweet potatoes are an incredible source of beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A. One medium sweet potato provides 386% of your daily vitamin A needs! Beta carotene also has antioxidant properties, helping to prevent cellular damage.
Sweet potatoes are also a source of other micronutrients, like:
- potassium
- magnesium
- calcium
- iron
- phosphorus
- vitamin B6
- vitamin E
- vitamin C
Beet Nutrition Benefits
The root portion of the beet plant is rich in nutrition. One cup of beetroot provides about 15% of your daily fibre needs, along with micronutrients like:
- vitamin C
- iron
- vitamin B6
- magnesium
- potassium
- folate
Beets are rich in different phytochemicals that give them their vibrant colours. These phytochemicals are known to support health overall (many of them act as antioxidants)!
Beetroots are also known for their dietary nitrate content, which your body converts into nitric oxide. Nitric oxide helps to dilate your blood vessels, increase blood flow, improve exercise endurance, and even to lower blood pressure.
Kale Nutrition Benefits
Just one cup of kale provides over 100% of your daily needs for:
- vitamin A (206%)
- vitamin K (684%)
- vitamin C (134%)
Kale is also a good source of other micronutrients like:
- manganese
- magnesium
- potassium
- calcium
- copper
- vitamin B6
That same cup provides 2 grams of dietary fibre, helping to keep your gut and heart happy. In addition to micronutrients, kale is also loaded with antioxidants, which prevent cellular damage and provide a multitude of health benefits.
More Hearty Salad Recipes
- Broccoli Kale Salad With Tahini Dressing
- Warm Mushroom Salad With Miso Dressing
- Roasted Pumpkin Salad With Quinoa & Feta
- Roasted Broccoli Salad With Cranberry, Farro & Feta
- Massaged Kale Salad With Sweet Potato & Goat Cheese
Did you give this Sweet Potato Salad Recipe a try? Let me know by leaving a comment and recipe rating below!
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Get the Recipe: Sweet Potato Salad With Kale, Beets & Smokey Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 large sweet potato
- 2 medium beets (root only)
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- 1 large bunch curly kale (roughly 5-6 cups, packed – how to massage kale for salad)
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1/4 cup raisins
Smokey Tahini Dressing:
- 1/2 cup tahini
- 1 lemon, juice only
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp maple syrup
- Salt + pepper, to taste
- Water, to desired consistency (I used 4 Tbsp)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Peel the sweet potato and beets. Chop both vegetables into approximately 1/2-inch cubes.
- Place cubed sweet potatoes and beets on the baking sheet. Toss in olive oil, salt + pepper. Spread in an even single layer (with some space between veggies) and roast in the oven for 30 mins.
- Meanwhile, prep kale: remove from hard stems, wash/dry in a salad spinner, then chop or tear into smaller pieces.
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small-medium sized bowl. Gradually add 1 Tbsp of water at a time until desired consistency is reached. For reference, I used 4 Tbsps of water here! Season to taste and set aside.
- Place pecans on a small baking sheet, then place in the oven for 6 minutes (you can do this in the last 6 mins of roasting the veggies!) They should be toasty, but not burnt (keep an eye on them).
- Remove everything from the oven. Add kale to a large mixing bowl and top with roasted sweet potatoes, beets, toasted pecans, and raisins. Pour tahini dressing overtop and toss until well-combined.
- Feel free to serve immediately, or allow the dressing to sit and soften the kale for about 10 mins. Enjoy!
Notes
- hard boiled eggs (this is how I’ve been eating this recipe!)
- chickpeas (roasted or canned)
- sautéed shrimp (I also made this recipe with these smoked paprika shrimp – they went perfectly!)
- grilled or baked chicken
- crispy baked tofu
- If you’re not vegan, feel free to use honey in place of maple syrup in the dressing.
- If you’d like, you can purchase and use pre-steamed baby beets in place of the roasted beets. They are definitely a little less messy and quick to use. Otherwise, golden beets are also an option in place of red beets.
- I used curly/green kale for this recipe, but chopped lacinato/dinosaur kale would work as well.
- I used Thompson raisins for this recipe, but feel free to use another type (like golden raisins) or even some dried cranberries instead.
Nutrition
As a dietitian, I create recipes with whole food ingredients that provide the nutrients needed for optimal health. My nutrition philosophy does not focus on numbers; however, I understand that this information can be helpful.
Do note that the nutrition info provided is an estimate and I cannot guarantee correctness of the displayed values. These numbers will differ depending on brands used, recipe modifications, and amount eaten. If you require specific nutrition information due to medical reasons, please consult with your dietitian or physician.
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know by leaving a recipe rating below, or by tagging @walderwellness on Instagram. I love seeing your beautiful creations!
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19 Comments on “Sweet Potato Salad With Kale, Beets & Smokey Tahini Dressing”
How many calories in a serving?
Hi Sherry! I don’t count calories, so I’m not sure! For both personal and professional reasons, I intentionally choose not to include the exact nutrition breakdown of my recipes. Ultimately, focusing on numbers goes against my nutrition philosophy as a dietitian and I much prefer to highlight the various health benefits of the whole food ingredients that I use! You can read more about my decision not to include them on my FAQ page if interested.
Thank you so much for understanding!
Devoured this salad. Delicious! My husband who says he doesn’t like beets said he loved it…returned for a second helping.
Thank you!
Hi Geri! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review – it’s so appreciated! I’m so happy to hear that you and your husband enjoyed this one!! Glad to hear even the beets were a hit haha 😉
I want to make this for a friend that is allergic to Tahini. Is there a good substitute? Maybe Cashew butter?
Hi Heather! While I haven’t tried it with something else, I think either cashew butter or sunflower seed butter would be your best options. Peanut/almond butter might be too strong of a flavour. I hope it works out!!
I made this for my daughter and her husband. They loved it!
Thank you so much for leaving a review, Judy! It’s so appreciated. That’s so sweet of you to make it for them – I’m so happy to hear that they loved it 🙂
Perfect colorful salad for a girls night. It made a pretty good impression ✨🤍
Hi Jessica! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! It’s so appreciated. I’m so happy to hear that you + your girls enjoyed this one 🙂
This was absolutely delicious, so many textures and flavours. I had it as a main meal, so added a tin of chickpeas, feta cheese would be good too. I didn’t have any pecans, so I toasted pine nuts and pumpkin seeds. I think pecans would probably work better, but the pumpkin seeds were a lovely addition.
Hi Maggie! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review – it’s so appreciated and I’m so happy to hear that you enjoyed it! I love all the additions you made. Toasted pecans are definitely an incredible flavour (my personal favourite haha), but I’m sure pumpkin seeds were delicious too!!
I made this salad for lunch. Soooooo good. My daughter and I devoured it. Thank you !
Thank you so much, Terri!! I’m so happy that you and your daughter enjoyed this one 🙂
So good
I swapped pecans for sliced almonds because that’s what I had on hand but it was extremely tasty. I thought the beets would taste too earthy and gross but roasting them helped the flavor. I was hesitant about the dressing because of so much garlic and cumin but it was perfect, it paired with the salad perfectly. My boyfriend scarfed the whole thing down so quick and loved the dressing.
Hi Zoey! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this review!! I’m so happy to hear that both you and your boyfriend enjoyed this one, and that it turned out better than expected! Makes my day to hear this 🙂
My Husband forgot to buy Kale 😞 I have all the other ingredients and am really motivated to make this salad. Do you think I can swap arugula for the kale? My gut feeling is yes (can’t argue with arugula 😉) but wanted to hear your thoughts
Hi Leah! Oh no, I’m sorry to hear he forgot the kale!! You can certainly swap for arugula. It won’t be as hearty and you may want to use a little less dressing, but it would definitely be possible 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!!