Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale

This dish just screams autumn to me. Everything from the colors to the warm flavors make it a perfect recipe to cook this time of year. I love all the major ingredients that play into this recipe and I am always looking for new ways to incorporate them in our menu, especially kale.

The preparation of the kale for this salad was unique. It is baked in the oven to create crispy kale chips, but it bakes in balsamic vinegar which gives it a neat tang. I ate a couple right out of the oven and they were awesome! Roasting the sweet potatoes and onion together really bring out a nice flavor that carries through the dish. This was filling and could also be a main dish for vegetarians/vegans! 

I really appreciated that other than the small amount of oil used to roast the sweet potatoes, no additional oil is necessary in the “dressing.” All that is added is a few extra tablespoons of balsamic vinegar to ensure that every bite of this quinoa salad is tangy and delicious.

Once all the vegetables and quinoa are cooked, toss them all together in a large bowl, making sure to mix really well so that everything is equally distributed!

The salad can be served warm or even at room temperature. I could even see this as an addition for Thanksgiving to cater to vegetarians/vegans. You can also add dried cranberries to add another dimension of flavor. Yum!

Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Kale

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3 cups kale
• 5 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, divided
• 1 cup uncooked black quinoa
• 2 cups water (or low-sodium, fat free broth)
• Pinch of salt

1). Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Place sweet potatoes and onion in a medium bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss together and then put them on a large baking sheet that has been lined with foil and sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes, or until sweet potatoes are tender. Stir a few times while baking.

2). Drizzle kale with 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. When the sweet potatoes and onions have been in the oven for 15 minutes, put the kale in the oven. Bake for 15 minutes, or until kale is wilted and starting to get a little crispy.

3). While the vegetables are roasting, make the quinoa. Using a strainer, rinse the black quinoa under cold water. Add quinoa, water, and salt to a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Boil for 5 minutes. Turn the heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and fluff with a fork. Let cool quinoa cool.

4). When the vegetables are done roasting, let them cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, combine quinoa, sweet potatoes, onion, and kale. Drizzle the salad with remaining three tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Servings: 6 as a side dish. Nutritional Information per Serving: Calories: 184 Carbs: 33g Fat: 4g Protein: 6g Sugar: 6g Fiber: 4g WW Points += 5 

Recipe adapted from: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/quinoa-salad-with-roasted-sweet-potatoes-kale-dried-cranberries-red-onion/