Fancy Kale Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette

This kale salad can please a crowd at a get-together and please your family as a main course or side dish. The roasted sweet potatoes add a tasty pop of color, the pecans offer a nice crunch and the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts will convert even the most diehard skeptics into salad enthusiasts!

Course Salad

Keyword salad, kale, salad dressing

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Servings

Calories 460

Ingredients

KALE:

1 bunch of curly kale (with stems removed and leaves torn)
1 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp. olive oil

DRESSING:

¼ cup olive oil
1/3 cup orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest (optional)
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp. tahini
1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
½ Tbsp. honey
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

SALAD:

1/3 cup goat cheese (cubed)
1 large sweet potato (diced into ½-in. cubes)
16 oz. Brussels sprouts (sliced into thin ribbons with bottoms removed)
½ cup pecans
½ cup pomegranate seeds
½ Tbsp. olive oil

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the sheet and drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, evenly spreading the potatoes across the sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes.
Spread out the pecans on a small, ungreased sheet pan. When the potatoes have 10 minutes remaining, roast the pecans on a different rack for 5-10 minutes, shaking and stirring every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning. Remove from oven once lightly browned.
Rinse the kale with water and dry it well with paper towels or in a salad spinner. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and ½ teaspoon olive oil. Massage the leaves with your hands until they start to shrink.
Add the Brussels sprouts to the kale and toss with tongs or your hands.
For the dressing, combine the olive oil, orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, tahini, apple cider vinegar, honey, salt and pepper in a blender, food processer or mixing bowl with a whisk. Blend until smooth.
Drizzle 2 tablespoons of dressing onto the greens and toss. Add half of the sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese, then lightly toss once again. Top with the remainder of the sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. Serve with the salad dressing on the side.

Notes

Feel free to omit the goat cheese or replace it with sliced Parmesan or feta cheese.
Roasted carrots or beets would be a nice addition.
Store the leftover salad dressing in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Nutrition