Sweet Potato Kale Salad with Tahini Maple Dressing
Oct 29, 2025
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This Sweet Potato Kale Salad is the perfect dish for a fall or winter gathering, or a hearty lunch. It’s a delightful blend of savory and sweet, with tender roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy candied pecans, and a rich, tangy tahini maple dressing that ties everything together.
The massaged kale softens beautifully, making every bite an absolute treat. This salad is so satisfying and delicious, you’ll forget how nutritious it is.
This recipe is sponsored by Wada Farms.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This sweet potato kale salad is a quick, healthy, and vegetarian meal that’s perfect for either lunch or dinner. With just 10 minutes of prep time and about 35 minutes for roasting the sweet potatoes, it’s a simple, nutrient-packed dish that’s as easy as it is delicious.
What makes this salad truly special is the fantastic variety of flavors and textures. The combination of roasted sweet potatoes, crunchy maple-candied pecans, chewy cranberries, creamy feta, and softened, massaged kale creates a perfect balance of sweet, savory, and rich flavors in every bite.
The unique tahini maple dressing ties everything together. Made by blending tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and garlic, the dressing is creamy, tangy, and just the right consistency to drizzle over the entire salad.
This salad is a fantastic choice all year, but its warm, cozy flavors make it an especially great option for holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. It also keeps well in the refrigerator for up to three days, making it ideal for meal prep. The kale holds up perfectly, so you can enjoy a delicious, non-soggy salad even when it’s mixed ahead of time.
Related: How To Store Potatoes & Sweet Potatoes
Ingredient Substitutions for Sweet Potato Kale Salad
This recipe is highly adaptable, and you can easily substitute ingredients based on what you have on hand or what you prefer. Here are some suggestions for each component:
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- Butternut Squash: A great alternative with a similar flavor profile and texture when roasted.
- Carrots: Roasted carrots will add a similar sweetness and beautiful color to the salad.
- Delicata Squash: This squash roasts up beautifully and has a slightly nutty flavor that works well here.
- Beets: Roasted red or golden beets will add an earthy sweetness and a vibrant color.
Candied Pecans
- Nuts/Seeds: Substitute the pecans with walnuts, almonds, or even pumpkin seeds for a similar crunch and flavor.
- Sweetener: Maple syrup can be swapped with honey, agave nectar, or a tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Flavoring: The cinnamon and vanilla can be replaced with a dash of nutmeg, pumpkin spice, or cardamom.
Tahini Maple Dressing
- Tahini: If you don’t have tahini, you can use almond butter or cashew butter for a nutty, creamy base.
- Maple Syrup: Honey or agave nectar are perfect one-to-one substitutes for the maple syrup.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: You can use fresh lemon juice, white wine vinegar, or even red wine vinegar for a similar tangy kick.
- Garlic: If you don’t have fresh garlic, a small pinch of garlic powder can be used instead.
Salad
- Kale: Substitute dinosaur kale with curly kale, baby kale, spinach, or arugula. Baby spinach or arugula would be a good choice if you prefer not to massage the greens.
- Dried Cranberries: Feel free to swap in other dried fruits like raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots for a burst of sweetness.
- Feta Cheese: Goat cheese, blue cheese, or even shaved Parmesan would all work well in place of the feta, each adding a unique salty and tangy flavor.
- Cooking Oil: For the roasting and massaging of the kale, you can use any neutral oil you prefer, such as olive oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil.
Tips for a Perfect Salad
- Don’t skip the massage! Massaging the kale breaks down its tough fibers, making it much more tender and pleasant to eat.
- Let everything cool. Make sure the sweet potatoes and pecans have cooled completely before adding them with the kale. This prevents the kale from wilting and the cheese from melting.
- Prep ahead. You can roast the sweet potatoes and make the dressing and candied pecans up to a few days in advance. Store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator, then assemble the salad right before serving.
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1 large Wada Farms sweet potato (or 2 medium), peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
Candied Pecans
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Tahini Maple Dressing (Makes approx. 1 cup)
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
Salad
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale (lacinato kale), stems removed, chopped into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces feta cheese, crumbled
Step-By-Step Instructions to Make Sweet Potato Kale Salad
Roast the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 400°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until they’re evenly coated. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and tender. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.
Make the Candied Pecans: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat a medium pan over medium heat with no oil. Toast the pecan halves for about 6-7 minutes, stirring them occasionally to prevent burning, until they become fragrant. Pour the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract over the toasted pecans. Continue to cook until the syrup thickens and becomes sticky, making sure to coat the pecans. Turn off the heat and transfer the pecans to a plate to cool completely and harden.
Prepare the Tahini Maple Dressing: In a measuring cup or a tall glass, combine the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour the neutral cooking oil on top. Use an immersion blender to blend until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. If the dressing is too thick, you can thin it out with a little bit of water.
Assemble the Salad: In a large serving bowl, add the chopped kale, oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale until it is fully coated and begins to soften. This step is crucial for making the kale easier to chew and digest.
Add the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese randomly on top. Drizzle with the tahini maple dressing and add more salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine, serve immediately, and enjoy!
Why We Love Wada Farms
We choose Wada Farms sweet potatoes from the produce section for their hearty flavor and focus on sustainability as well! Family-owned since 1943, they use resources efficiently to increase productivity and quality of their produce. Their reputation is not just for quality, but for leadership, innovation, and the understanding of trends and opportunities. Their belief in “Pride in Excellence” is shared with the entire Wada team!
Favorite Sweet Potato Recipes
- Sweet Potato Cheesecake
- Golden Beet & Sweet Potato Salad
- Sweet Potato Casserole
- Black Bean & Sweet Potato Burritos
- Sweet Potato Latkes
- Roasted Sweet Potato & Beet Salad
- Sweet Potato Hash
- Skillet Sweet Potato Bake
- Sweet Potato Pie
Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Salad
Ingredients
- Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 1 large sweet potato or 2 medium, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Candied Pecans
- 1 ½ cups pecan halves
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- Tahini Maple Dressing Makes approx. 1 cup
- ¼ cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 clove garlic minced
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup olive oil
- Salad
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale lacinato kale, stems removed, chopped into large pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
Instructions
- Roast the Sweet Potatoes: Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, toss the cubed sweet potatoes with oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper until they’re evenly coated. Spread them onto the prepared baking sheet and roast for 25-30 minutes, or until they’re golden brown and tender. Remove from the oven and let them cool on the baking sheet.
- Make the Candied Pecans: While the sweet potatoes are roasting, heat a medium pan over medium heat with no oil. Toast the pecan halves for about 6-7 minutes, stirring them occasionally to prevent burning, until they become fragrant. Pour the maple syrup, cinnamon, and vanilla extract over the toasted pecans. Continue to cook until the syrup thickens and becomes sticky, making sure to coat the pecans. Turn off the heat and transfer the pecans to a plate to cool completely and harden.
- Prepare the Tahini Maple Dressing: In a measuring cup or a tall glass, combine the tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Pour the neutral cooking oil on top. Use an immersion blender to blend until the dressing is completely smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust with more salt or pepper as needed. If the dressing is too thick, you can thin it out with a little bit of water.
- Assemble the Salad: In a large serving bowl, add the chopped kale, oil, salt, and pepper. Use your hands to massage the kale until it is fully coated and begins to soften. This step is crucial for making the kale easier to chew and digest. Add the cooled roasted sweet potatoes, candied pecans, dried cranberries, and crumbled feta cheese randomly on top. Drizzle with the tahini maple dressing and add more salt and pepper to taste. Toss to combine, serve immediately, and enjoy!
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Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
