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There are salads you eat because you have to, and then there are salads like this one: hearty, colorful, and so satisfying you forget you’re eating a bowl of vegetables. Roasted sweet potatoes, creamy avocado, crunchy cashews, and massaged kale come together under the dreamiest spicy cashew herb dressing — and trust me, you’ll want to put that dressing on everything. Whether you’re looking for a plant-based meal that leaves you full and happy or just need a fresh twist on sweet potatoes that doesn’t scream “fall,” this salad checks all the boxes.
Table of Contents
- 😍 Why You’ll Love My Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
- 🗒️ Ingredients
- 👩🍳 How to Make My Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
- 🎩 Tips and Tricks
- 🌟 Variations
- 🤲 Substitutions
- 📓 Best served with
- 👝 How to Store Leftovers
- 🧠 Common Questions
- Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing Recipe
😍 Why You’ll Love My Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
This salad is everything you want in a meal: filling without feeling heavy, easy enough for a weeknight, and layered with flavors and textures that keep every bite exciting. You’ll love how the roasted sweet potatoes add natural sweetness, how the massaged kale becomes tender and almost buttery, and how the spicy, herby dressing ties it all together with a silky kick. Plus, it’s paleo, dairy-free, grain-free, and just flat-out delicious – no labels necessary.
🗒️ Ingredients
Curly Green Kale – Massaging it with salt transforms it from tough to tender, making it the perfect hearty salad base.
Sweet Potatoes – Roasted until golden and caramelized, they add sweetness and substance.
Olive Oil – Helps the sweet potatoes roast to perfection and keeps everything lush and flavorful.
Avocado – Creamy bites that balance the spice of the dressing and the earthiness of the kale.
Scallions – Add a fresh, mild onion bite without overpowering the other flavors.
Roasted Cashews – Bring a satisfying crunch and a toasty flavor to the salad.
Garlic – Adds bold, aromatic flavor.
Honey – A subtle touch of sweetness to balance the vinegar and spice.
Unsalted Roasted Cashews – Create a creamy, rich texture without dairy.
Red Pepper Flakes – Just enough heat to keep it interesting (adjust to your preference).
Fresh Parsley + Cilantro – Fresh herbs keep the dressing bright, green, and vibrant.
Rice Wine Vinegar – For that gentle tang that lifts all the other flavors.
Olive or Avocado Oil – Blends everything together into a smooth, luscious dressing.
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper – For a little extra seasoning and depth.
👩🍳 How to Make My Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad
🥵 Preheat your oven to 425°F.
🔪Chop the kale, discarding the tough stems, and massage with a teaspoon of kosher salt until softened. Set aside.
🍠 Toss the diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and roast on a sheet pan until browned and tender, about 15–20 minutes.
💧 While the sweet potatoes roast, blend all dressing ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth and vibrantly green. If needed, thin with a splash of water.
🥑Add the roasted sweet potatoes, diced avocado, scallions, and chopped cashews to the bowl of massaged kale.
🥄 Drizzle the spicy cashew herb dressing over everything and toss to coat.
🥳 Enjoy!
🎩 Tips and Tricks
- Massage your kale for at least 10 seconds with salt – it makes all the difference in texture.
- Roast your sweet potatoes in a single layer to help them brown, not steam.
- If your dressing feels too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water until it reaches your desired consistency.
🌟 Variations
- Use Tuscan (Lacinato) kale if you prefer a slightly softer leaf.
- Swap the sweet potatoes for butternut squash or roasted carrots.
- Add cooked quinoa or chickpeas for extra protein if you’d like to make it even heartier.
🤲 Substitutions
- Replace the kale with shredded purple cabbage or shaved Brussels sprouts if you’re not a kale fan.
- Use maple syrup instead of honey to keep it vegan.
- Swap the cashews for sunflower seeds if you need a nut-free version.
📓 Best served with
- A bowl of your favorite soup for a cozy meal.
- Grilled chicken, salmon, or tofu if you’re looking to add some protein.
- Warm pita or flatbread on the side.
👝 How to Store Leftovers
This salad keeps beautifully! Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. The kale holds up well without getting soggy, and the flavors only get better as they sit. If meal prepping, you can keep the dressing separate and toss right before serving.
🧠 Common Questions
Absolutely! It will keep in the fridge for up to a week. Give it a good shake or stir before using.
Yes – just blend until smooth. You may need to scrape down the sides a couple of times.
Feel free to use all parsley or swap in fresh basil or mint for a different twist.
Definitely. Grilled chicken, salmon, shrimp, or even some crispy chickpeas would be great additions.
The dressing has a gentle heat from the red pepper flakes, but you can easily adjust it up or down depending on your preference.
Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing
Equipment
- 1 half sheet pan
- 1 High speed blender
Ingredients
- 2 lbs curly green kale, about 2 generous bunches
- Kosher salt
- 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 large avocado, diced
- 3 scallions, white and green parts sliced thin
- 1/3 cup unseasoned roasted cashews, chopped
- 1/2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/3 cup unsalted roasted cashews
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
- 1 cup fresh parsley
- 1 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/3 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup olive or avocado oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 Degrees F.
- Rinse and chop the kale, discarding the tough stem ends.
- Add kale to a very large bowl and top with one teaspoon of salt. Don't worry if it's overflowing a bit, the kale will shrink down while you prep the salad.
- Using your hands, massage the salt into the kale for about 10 seconds. Leave the bowl of kale to the side while you continue with the salad.
- On a large sheet pan, mix diced sweet potatoes with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and a few turns of fresh cracked pepper. Spread in an even layer.
- Roast for 15-20 minutes, until browned and cooked through. Set aside at room temperature.
Make the Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing:
- Add all dressing ingredients to a high speed blender and blend for 10-20 seconds, just until smooth and green. If the dressing is too thick, add a tablespoon or two of water.
- Set aside.
Compose the Salad:
- To the bowl of massaged kale, add sweet potatoes, avocado, scallions, cashews, and a few cracks of black pepper.
- Drizzle with the cashew herb dressing and toss well.
- Serve. This salad will also keep in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was delicious! I made it a little less spicy because I’m not a huge heat person. This salad was so good. I couldn’t believe I was eating so much kale and loving it! Can’t wait to try her other recipes!
Chelsea,
I’m so glad you loved it!
Kat
Best salad ever!! ❤️❤️
I was happy surprised to really enjoy the flavor of the kale. Thanks for sharing 👍
Julia,
It’s one of my favorites too : ).
So glad you love it,
Kat
This is the 5th HLS I’ve made for my family. We gobbled it up. Every one I’ve made has been a huge success. Thanks so much for these fantastic recipes.
Patti,
This means so much to me, I’m so glad you all enjoy them!
Kat
I have been trying new recipes from your website every week for over a month now and this one is definitely my new favourite! As someone who used to hate the idea of eating salads but is now trying to eat healthier due to seemingly out-of-nowhere food intolerances, you never miss the mark on making salads enjoyable to eat and you have genuinely been a massive help for me.
It would be great to clarify, how much kale is needed for this recipe? I made the recipe in full to have over the week, and realised in the store that 2lbs of kale here in the UK is translated by Google to roughly 900grams. That would be 6 bags of kale! I figured that must not be right as that was a crazy amount of kale so I ended up using 1 and a half 150g bags. The salad was amazing but I’m still a bit boggled on how much kale is supposed to be used! Does 2lbs in the US mean something different here in the UK maybe? Or did I just use a lot less kale than I was supposed to? 😅
Hi Stefanie,
I’m referring to 2 lbs of kale stems with leaves, not 2 lbs of leaves which are what you’ll find in bagged kale. I’d halve the amount!
Kat
Love your recipes! What are the “tea towels” you use to dry off veggies and cover items? I love how thick as they look very absorbent!
Lindsay,
I get microfiber ones from amazon!
Kat
This was the second one of your salad recipes I have made and absolutely loved and devoured, the first being the Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing. I get so excited to sit down and heartily eat these salads!! This one is so fresh tasting with the cup of cilantro and cup of parsley in the dressing! What a genius idea to just pack a salad dressing with flavor in such a way!! And the sweet potato and avocado are such a nice sweet and tender opposite to the dazzling crunch and flavor of everything else. Thank you so much for these Hungry Lady Salads. The next I shall try is the “cheesy” one with farro. You are a gem. Thanks for what you do.
Amanda,
This is so kind of you to say, and I’m thrilled you love them!
Kat
The dressing is so delicious!
Kallie,
I love it too!
Kat
I can’t get enough of this salad! I have made four of your salads since Easter and this is my favorite by far! I now love kale and never thought I would. Keep up the great work and I will always follow you. Thank you so much!
I love when I convert someone into a kale lover, Kit! So glad you’re here.
Kat
Do you have any recommendations or substitute for us Midwesterners who have a tough time getting ripe avocados on demand. Often the ones available here in Northern Wisconsin take a week to ripen and then spoil immediately. We love to eat them, but I’m wondering if you have a sneaky substitute in mind? Thanks so much- we love your salads!
Hi Courtney,
White beans would be a nice add in here for that creamy component.
Let me know how you make out!
Kat
To everyone seeing if this can be made whole food plant-based, it definitely can! I made the dressing recipe as it is except I swapped out a half a cup of oil for half a cup of water, and it still taste amazing! I also put in some roasted chickpeas and a combination of kale and cabbage. Skipped avocado and cashews to save on fat but that would take it to the next level for sure—I added some roasted mushrooms. I will definitely making this dressing all the time!
Andrea,
This is so great to know, thank you for sharing this!
Kat
Made this to bring to Easter. Everyone loved it!
Carole,
I’m so happy to hear this! Thanks for letting me know!
Kat