This Kale Sweet Potato Salad is amazing! It features kale, couscous, caramelized sweet potatoes, tender black beans, creamy avocado, and an incredible basil-lemon vinaigrette.
author’s note
My Favorite Salad, Maybe Ever!
I’ve always been a salad lover, but the problem with most salads is that leftovers never last, and it feels like a one-and-done meal. But this salad changed everything for me—it’s become my weekly staple, and I can’t stop making it!
If you’ve never tried a salad with kale, it’s a total game-changer. It holds its shape and doesn’t wilt, making it perfect for meal prep. I either keep the ingredients separate for daily assembly or layer them in a Mason jar for a convenient grab-and-go option.
Packed with fiber and plant-based protein, it’s super filling. For an extra protein boost, I sometimes toss in baked or grilled chicken.
Kale Sweet Potato Salad Ingredients
| Ingredient | Swaps / Tips |
|---|---|
| Couscous | Swap with quinoa, brown rice, or farro. |
| Sweet Potatoes | Use butternut squash or carrots if you prefer. |
| Kale | Baby spinach for a softer green, but don’t prep too far ahead. |
| Red Onion | Soak in cool water for 10 minutes to mellow flavor. |
| Black Beans | Chickpeas or white beans also work. |
| Feta Cheese | Goat cheese or shaved Parmesan. |
| Pistachios | Almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds. |
| Basil Dressing | Use a microplane for the lemon zest; juice with a citrus juicer. |
Quick Tip
Are you new to couscous? It’s like spaghetti cut into tiny pieces. I’m using Moroccan couscous, which cooks faster than the larger Israeli version. If you use Israeli, just cook it a little longer.
How To Make Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Cook couscous: Boil water, add couscous, cover, steam, then fluff with a fork.
- Roast sweet potatoes: Toss in oil, season, and roast until golden and caramelized.
- Prep kale: Massage kale with a drizzle of dressing to soften and cut bitterness.
- Blend dressing: Combine basil, lemon, Dijon, garlic, and honey until smooth.
- Assemble: Toss together kale, couscous, roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado, feta, and pistachios.
- Serve: Enjoy right away or portion for meal prep.
Storage
- Store separately: Keep ingredients and dressing in different containers in the fridge.
- Mason jar layering: For grab-and-go meals, layer in this order: dressing, red onion, black beans, sweet potato, couscous, and kale. Add feta and pistachios in a little bag on top.
- Shelf life: Ingredients keep for up to five days, dressing for a week.
More Salad Recipes:
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Kale Sweet Potato Salad
This Kale Sweet Potato Salad is packed with flavor—tender kale, caramelized sweet potatoes, couscous, black beans, creamy avocado, and a zesty basil-lemon vinaigrette. Amazing in every bite!
Video
Equipment
- Sheet pan (15" x 10")
- Small blender or food processor
Ingredients
Salad
- 1/2 cup couscous plus 1/2 cup water
- 3 cups diced sweet potatoes plus 1 tablespoon oil
- 2 cups finely chopped kale see note 1
- 1/2 cup finely diced red onion optional
- 1 (15.5-ounce) can black beans drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese add to preference
- 1/2 cup pistachios coarsely pulsed
Dressing (see note 2)
- 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 lemons see note 3
- 2 to 3 tablespoons honey add to sweetness preference
- 1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- In a medium pot, bring 1/2 cup water and 1/4 tsp salt to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, remove from heat and stir in the couscous. Quickly cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let it sit 5 minutes. Then, fluff the couscous with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Peel and cube the sweet potatoes into 3/4-inch pieces, ensuring you have 3 cups. Toss the sweet potato cubes with 1 tbsp of oil, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper. Spread out on a sheet pan (leaving space between the pieces) and roast for 15 minutes. Flip the pieces and roast for an additional 10–15 minutes until tender. Let cool.
- Dressing: Add dressing ingredients in a mini blender or food processor. Add 1 tablespoon lemon zest and 1/2 cup lemon juice. Blend until smooth. Adjust flavors to taste. Transfer the dressing to a mason jar and keep refrigerated until ready to use.
- Place the finely chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Mix in 1 tbsp of the prepared dressing, scrunching firmly with both hands for about 15 seconds to soften the kale and infuse it with flavor. Let it sit for 10 minutes.
- Use a nut grinder or food processor to coarsely chop the pistachios, aiming for a mix of coarsely chopped nuts and some powder.
- For immediate serving: Toss kale and couscous in a large bowl. Top with other salad ingredients, add dressing to preference, adjust seasoning, and serve.For later or meal prep: Store salad components separately or layer in a mason jar (see note 4). Assemble as needed to avoid sogginess and browning. Add optional items as desired.
Final step! Please let us know how it was by leaving a review.
Recipe Notes
Note 1: This is about 1/2 bunch of kale. Remove stems, tightly roll the leaves, and thinly slice into shreds. Then, finely chop these shreds and gently pack them into a measuring cup for accurate measurement.
- To remove kale stems: Hold the leaf with one hand, grip the stem firmly, and strip the leaves away with your fingers or a knife.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 760kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 42g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 26g | Cholesterol: 17mg | Sodium: 333mg | Potassium: 1111mg | Fiber: 17g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 17730IU | Vitamin C: 36mg | Calcium: 280mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
What To Serve With Kale Sweet Potato Salad
- Quinoa or Brown Rice: Replace couscous with a different grain if desired.
- Fresh Fruit Salad: A sweet, refreshing contrast.
- Crusty Bread: For soaking up extra dressing.
- Lentil Soup: For a hearty pairing.
- Grilled Fish or Shrimp: A light, protein-rich option.
For a luncheon where I invited 7 guests, they proved to be the perfect “guinea pigs” for the first time use of this delicious recipe. In addition to all of the great ingredients, I believe that it is the fantastic dressing that pulls it all together. Including lemon zest in the mix is the magic if you ask me. I used stevia as the sweetener to accommodate one friend who is sugar-free. I opted to leave out the feta cheese in the salad ingredients too. I placed side dishes on the table so that feta and croutons were both available for that extra pizzazz.
Each girlfriend left with a request to send them the recipe as soon as possible. So now you have 7 new followers….I’m pretty sure!
Yay! This made my day! So thrilled to hear this kale sweet potato salad was a hit! Thanks Betsy!
I’ve been trying a lot of recipes from this food blog. This probably my favorite out of all of them. Wow. This salad is amazing. The basil and lemon really send it over the top
This made my day! I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks so much Ryan! 🙂
This was a 10/10 for me! I only had green onions so I substituted those and only used 1/4 olive oil. This was exactly what I B was craving. I’ll definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing.
I am so happy to hear this! Thanks so much Brittany! 🙂