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Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Salad with Seeds
Recipe

Roasted Sweet Potato & Kale Salad with Seeds

Main • South Africa

A satisfying, everyday-friendly salad that eats like a main: caramelised sweet potato, softened kale, chickpeas for staying power, and a lemon-mustard dressing finished with toasted seeds.

Why smarter

Roasting brings big flavour without heavy fats; chickpeas add protein and fibre; seeds deliver crunch and healthy fats so the salad feels filling while staying light.

Chef tip

Massage the kale with a pinch of salt and a little dressing for 30–60 seconds—this softens it quickly and makes it much nicer to eat.

Soft line

Great warm or at room temperature—ideal for lunchboxes or an easy weeknight main.

Ingredients

# Ingredient Text Amount Unit Ingredient Name Notes
1 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2 cm chunks 800.000 g sweet potatoes About 2 medium-large
2 Canola oil 2.000 tbsp canola oil For roasting
3 Ground cumin 1.000 tsp ground cumin
4 Smoked paprika 1.000 tsp smoked paprika Or sweet paprika
5 Salt and black pepper salt and black pepper To taste
6 Kale, stems removed and leaves finely sliced 150.000 g kale About 1 large bunch
7 Canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed 400.000 g canned chickpeas 1 standard can; yields ~240 g drained
8 Red onion, thinly sliced 0.500 red onion
9 Lemon juice 3.000 tbsp lemon juice Fresh is best
10 Dijon or wholegrain mustard 2.000 tsp mustard
11 Honey 1.000 tsp honey Or maple syrup
12 Canola oil 1.000 tbsp canola oil For dressing
13 Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) 3.000 tbsp pumpkin seeds
14 Sunflower seeds 2.000 tbsp sunflower seeds
15 Optional: feta, crumbled 80.000 g feta Adds saltiness; leave out for dairy-free

Method

  1. Heat oven to 220°C. Line a baking tray.
  2. Toss sweet potato with 2 tbsp canola oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Spread out on the tray and roast 20–25 minutes, turning once, until tender and caramelised at the edges.
  3. While the sweet potato roasts, toast the pumpkin and sunflower seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for 2–3 minutes until lightly golden. Tip out to cool.
  4. Make the dressing: whisk lemon juice, mustard, honey, 1 tbsp canola oil, salt and pepper.
  5. Place sliced kale in a large bowl. Add 1–2 tbsp of the dressing and a pinch of salt, then massage with clean hands for 30–60 seconds until darker and slightly softened.
  6. Add chickpeas and sliced red onion to the kale and toss.
  7. When the sweet potato is done, let it cool for 5 minutes (still warm is great), then add to the bowl.
  8. Drizzle over the remaining dressing and toss gently. Top with toasted seeds and feta (if using). Serve warm or at room temperature.