I did it.

I made my new favorite Hungry Lady Salad.

I have been wanting to do a sweet potato salad for a few weeks now, but I didn’t want it to have a fall seasonal feel which so many sweet potato salad preparations do.

I wanted it to feel fresh, bright, and deeply satisfying. Then I thought to add avocado, use roasted cashews, and a base of soft and tender massaged kale. Top it all with the most delicious creamy cashew and herb salad dressing and BOOM: My new favorite salad.

This salad is absolutely delicious as is, and quite filling despite there being no animal protein, legumes, or grains. It also happens to be paleo, if that’s of interest to you.

Basically, it checks all the boxes.

How To Make Roasted Sweet Potato + Kale Salad with

Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing:

Step 1. Prep the kale by massaging with salt.

Step 2. Roast the sweet potatoes until browned and tender.

Step 3. Blend all dressing ingredients to a smooth consistency in a high-speed blender. This is my favorite one.

Step 4. Add the rest of the salad ingredients to the prepped kale.

Step 4. Drizzle salad dressing over the salad and toss well.

What Else Can I Use?

• I call with curly green kale here, but you can use Tuscan/Lucinato Kale instead if you prefer.
• Don’t care for kale? I won’t judge you, promise. Use shredded purple cabbage or shaved Brussels sprouts instead.
• If you don’t have honey, maple syrup can be used in the dressing.
• There is just a touch of red pepper flakes in the dressing for subtle heat. Feel free to omit for no spice, or increase for more pronounced heat.
• Apple cider or white vinegar can be used instead of rice wine vinegar in the dressing.
• Feel free to use sunflower seeds instead of cashews in both the dressing and salad to keep this nut free.

This Roasted Sweet Potato + Kale Salad is amazing because:

It is flat out DELICIOUS. I have made this salad twice in the last week, and I develop new recipes for a living. That is saying something.

You will learn a, potentially new, technique of how easily salt transforms tough kale leaves into something tender and delicious.

It takes 20 minutes to make, and is easy to throw together any day of the week.

This salad uses curly kale, which is easily available at your local grocery stores. I know some of you had trouble finding Tuscan Kale, the smoother variety, so I’ve got you covered here.

This salad dressing is incredible. It’s a beautiful green color, silky smooth, and slightly sweet from the honey and a little spice from the red pepper flakes. I know you will love it.

If you love sweet potatoes like me, be sure to check out these recipes:

Tex-Mex Stuffed Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Agrodolce

Miso Butter Sweet Potatoes

If you make this Roasted Sweet Potato and Kale Salad with Spicy Cashew Herb Dressing, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

Since posting the salad that started it all (I’m looking at you) I’ve been getting lots of requests for another kale salad. I adore kale salads, so this is not a hard ask from me. I wasn’t sure how much all of you would jump on board with them, so now that I know you’re game I’m all in.

Here is a totally different take on a chopped kale salad, but also similar in many ways. The combination of chewy farro, tender kale, bright tomatoes, toasty almonds and a savory, umami packed lemon dressing is really incredible.

If you haven’t used nutritional yeast before, this is a reason to start. I get mine from amazon, or Whole Foods usually. Trader Joe’s also carries it. It’s deactivated baker’s or brewer’s yeast and is very popular in vegan recipes because of its “cheesy” flavor. You’ll taste the dressing and see just what I mean. It’s also excellent on popcorn and even on roasted vegetables. I love keeping it in the pantry.

How To Make “Cheesy” Vegan Kale Salad

Step 1. Cook farro in a small saucepan until tender. Depending on the kind you use, it can take anywhere from 10-40 minutes. Pearled farro cooks quite quickly, while whole farro takes up to 40-45 minutes. Adjust according to what you have.

Step 2. Make the dressing (usually the best part, right?). Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth. It’ll be a beautiful golden color and should taste quite strong, but not bitter. If it is bitter to you, you can add a teaspoon of honey. It all depends on the nutritional yeast you’re using I find.

Step 3. By now you know how I feel about massaging kale… add the dressing and farro and do it! It transforms the leaves into something soft and lovely rather than the stiff, fibrous bites of plant that we often see memes about : )

Step 4. Top with the rest of the ingredients, toss and enjoy!

What Else Can I Use?

• I call for Tuscan kale (also known as Lacinato or Dinosaur kale) but you can use regular green curly kale if that’s what you can find. Just be sure to massage the dressing in well 30 minutes before serving to tenderize the leaves.
• If you don’t have farro, quinoa and brown rice are welcome substitutions.
• Are you grain-free? Add some chickpeas to this salad instead of the farro.
• The one ingredient there really is no replacement for is the nutritional yeast in the dressing. If you don’t want to pick some up at the market (you can also order on amazon) make my Lemon Tahini Dressing instead.
• Another option is to leave out the nutritional yeast and use parmesan cheese instead. It won’t be vegan, and has a more classic cheesy flavor… it’ll still be delicious.

This Salad is Special Because:

It takes under 30 minutes to make, and as little as 20 if you’re using a small pearled farro.

The savory flavor from the nutritional yeast is unmatched. It is deeply satisfying on the palate, and packs a real umami punch.

This salad holds up very well in the fridge, thanks to the hearty kale and farro making it ideal for meal prep lunches.

Be Sure To Check Out These Other Plant Based Meal-Prep Salad Recipes:

Erwhon’s Famous Kale Salad

Shaved Spring Salad with Creamy Tarragon Vinaigrette

Soba Noodle Salad with Spicy Almond Dressing

Kale Chopped Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing

If you make this “Cheesy” Vegan Kale Salad, and I hope you do, please leave me a comment here and rate the recipe. Your feedback means a lot to me! You can also post to Instagram and tag me so I can share your creations!

Happy Spring, my friends!  It’s been a long time coming, I know.  

Let’s kick it off with one of my favorite salads, Shaved Spring Salad with Creamy Tarragon Vinaigrette, perfect for Easter or any spring lunch.  

When the weather temps start to rise, I lean HARD into salads.  You may have picked up on that with a couple of my favorites from last year, this Grilled (Faux) Caesar Salad and Herby Marinated Lentil Salad.   I find salads one of the most fun dishes to create.  The fitting together of colors, textures, and flavors – acid/creamy/savory/sweet/crunchy… they all need to play off each other and round out the salad to get that unspeakable satisfaction you can’t quite pinpoint.  I like to think mine do that, and this one definitely does.

This salad was inspired by a shaved salad Geoffrey Zakarian made when we had him as a guest on The Martha Stewart Show.  He used raw egg yolk in his creamy dressing, and this is my version without.  I also boosted the color using various vegetable varieties (only partially as a ploy to maybe, please, perhaps, get my kids to try it).  

salad ingredients:

Carrots – I love the tricolor varieties for color, but regular orange carrots work fine!

Frisee – Such a pretty lettuce, and the texture is the perfect blend of soft and textured for this salad.

Radishes – Again, I love to mix pink and purple radishes, or better yet, use watermelon radishes if you can get your hands on them.

Asparagus – Asparagus can do a whole lot more than be roasted, this is a great use for fresh asparagus.  The thicker the better, to get the most from each stalk.

The colors do all the heavy lifting for you in terms of presentation, be still my pastel loving heart.  

“what else can i use?”

• If you can’t find frisee, butter lettuce or fennel are good substitutes
• I use either unsweetened coconut yogurt or a bit of full fat Greek yogurt in the dressing.  The coconut yogurt makes this dish vegan.  Use whatever plain yogurt you like best.
• Tarragon is beautiful in this spring salad, but if you don’t care for it, basil is a lovely swap.
• A bit of thinly sliced pear is a nice addition to this salad, as is grilled chicken if you’re making it the main course for a Sunday lunch.

I will be eating this salad for months to come, and I highly suggest you do as well.  As always, let me know if you make it as I so appreciate your feedback and you!