Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Candied Pecans and Cranberries
Topped with an easy homemade honey lemon vinaigrette, this roasted sweet potato and kale salad with candied pecans and cranberries is perfect for the holiday season.
Topped with an easy homemade honey lemon vinaigrette, this roasted sweet potato and kale salad with candied pecans and cranberries is perfect for the holiday season.
- Carbohydrate 12.9451334374423 g
- Cholesterol 3.81289062663513 mg
- Fat 13.8038539079285 g
- Fiber 1.43848442315835 g
- Protein 1.28111953127914 g
- Saturated Fat 2.10464375053876 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (33g)
- Sodium 28.9347265668234 mg
- Sugar 11.5066490142839 g
- Trans Fat 0.637562656315412 g
- Calories 171 calories
Step-by-step
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Peel and dice sweet potatoes into small cubes.
- Toss in olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Place evenly on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and roast in the oven for 40 minutes, flipping the potatoes over when 20 minutes have passed.
- While sweet potatoes are roasting, combine butter, pecan halves and cane sugar in a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar has melted and the nuts are fully coated.
- Transfer nuts to a baking sheet (or large plate) lined with parchment paper and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
- While the pecans are cooling, combine olive oil, honey, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and salt and pepper to taste in a small mason jar or bowl. Shake or stir to combine the honey lemon vinaigrette.
- While waiting for the sweet potatoes to finish roasting, chop kale and place in a large bowl.
- When sweet potatoes are done, add candied pecans, cranberries, sweet potatoes and the honey-lemon vinaigrette to the large bowl and toss to combine.
- Serve and enjoy!
Kale anchors this entire dish because its sturdy fibrous structure refuses to turn soggy under a dressing, meaning dressed leftovers actually improve by the second day as the leaves soften slightly. Managing oven space efficiently requires roasting the diced sweet potatoes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit on parchment paper, which frees up hands for candying the pecans on the stovetop during the twenty-minute bake time.
- Massage chopped kale with a tiny splash of olive oil for two minutes to break down tough cell walls before adding other ingredients.
- Cool candied pecans completely on parchment paper for five minutes so the cane sugar hardens into a crisp coating rather than remaining sticky.
- Store dressed kale and roasted sweet potatoes together in a sealed glass container for up to two days without losing textural integrity.
- Substitute maple syrup at a 1:1 ratio if honey is unavailable for the emulsified citrus vinaigrette.
