Ya know when New Year’s comes along, and you’ve got all these intentions to eat healthy in January? And then…you realize it’s still really cold and salad just doesn’t taste all that great and what you really want is anything hot? And then February comes and you’re like..OK, time to get serious again, but… same problem? I’ve got you covered folks. Warm salads; it’s where it’s at.
Hearty Kale + Roasted Sweet Potatoes + Roasted Broccoli + Asian vinaigrette = a warm salad that’s edible in February. It’s science. And tasty.
Lots of goodness goin’ on in this bowl you guys. Like some of the healthiest ingredients packed up in a super flavourful salad that makes you want to eat salad. WINNER! I also love kale salads because they taste just as fresh and good, sometimes even better, the next day, making lunch at work a breeze.
Kale and broccoli are two super green vegetables that seem to have it all. Both are great anti-inflammatory foods, and have high antioxidant levels. And both are high in fibre and have been shown to lower cholesterol, and protect against cancer. No big deal.
If you’ve been following along, you know that sweet potatoes are my golden boys, I seriously love them for several reasons:
A: They’re full of vitamin A and awesome for eye health (I 100% attribute the curing of my vision loss to eating a crap-ton of sweet potatoes)!
B: They taste like candy, and
C: They’re like, ridiculously good for you! I’m talking great for the skin, high in fibre and have been used for years (like thousands) in traditional medicine for things like cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
I don’t know about you, but I’m gonna keep on eatin my sweet potatoes, every damn day.
A few notes on this kale, roasted broccoli and sweet potato salad:
- It gets its “warmth” from topping the kale with the roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli right out of the oven, then tossing it all together and eating it right away. If you let those bad boys cool, I’m afraid you’ve lost the warmth to your salad. However, you could always warm the dressing up on the stove, or reheat the veggies in a frying pan for a few minutes to heat them up again. It’s also delicious cold, so don’t fret, unless it’s -20 and all… then you’ll want it warm.
- There will be extra salad dressing, unless you’re married to my husband, and if that’s the case, we have to talk.
Alright then, hope you like this salad and it makes your New Year’s resolutions just a tad bit easier to stick with! And if those have gone out the window, just eat it because it tastes good. Let me know how it turns out in the comments below!
| Warm Winter Kale, Roasted Broccoli and Sweet Potato Salad with Sesame Viniagrette | | Print |
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup or honey
- juice of 1 large orange, about ¼ cup
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 sweet potato diced small, about 3 cups
- ½ a bunch of broccoli florets, chopped, about 3 cups florets
- ½ bunch of kale, rinsed and chopped
- 1 carrot, peeled into ribbons
- 1 green onion, sliced thin
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
- ¼ cup chopped almonds
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Make the dressing by combining the first 8 ingredients and mix well. Set aside.
- Dice the sweet potatoes and toss in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. Place on parchment paper and bake for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, dice the broccoli and toss with 1 tablespoon of the dressing. After sweet potatoes have cooked 15 minutes, add broccoli to the baking sheet and bake the sweet potatoes and broccoli for 10-15 additional minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are cooked.
- While that's cooking, place kale in a salad bowl, add 2 tablespoons of the dressing and massage with (clean!) hands for 1 minute. Set aside and let rest while you prep the remaining ingredients. (peel carrots, slice onions, chop cilantro and almonds)
- Once the sweet potatoes and broccoli are done, remove from oven, and immediately add to the kale, along with the carrot ribbons, green onion, cilantro, almonds, sesame seeds, and an additional 2 tablespoons of dressing.
- Toss everything together until evenly coated and kale has slightly wilted from the heat. Add more dressing if desired, there should be about ¼ cup extra.
- Serve right away, or at room temperature within the hour.
- Salad will keep well in the fridge, for up to 3 days and can be served cold, or heated in the microwave for 30-45 seconds.
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