Don’t you hate it when your brilliant ideas don’t pan out? I’ve spent the week in the kitchen and I don’t have much to show for it. It’s maddening, I tell you. But, if anyone is going to end up with lackluster homemade meals, let it be me. I don’t want any precious avocados or maple syrup going to waste in your kitchens on my behalf.
Ali and I were both in sour moods on Tuesday after spending the afternoon sharing pans and sighing at our resulting recipes. We were so frustrated that we almost decided to stay in and watch more of The Blacklist on Netflix, but! We reminded each other that our evenings in Austin are dwindling. I traded my yoga pants and sandals for skinny jeans and booties and we headed out.
Dinner was pretty good. I just ordered a salad. Our waiter surprised me with a free dessert (griddled cornbread and bourbon ice cream!) and the night got better from there.
We found great live music. I ordered more bourbon. A stranger pulled me onto an empty dance floor and I, for the first time in my life, actually danced like no one was watching in a room full of people. Correction: I wiggled in front of a room full of people. I’m a terrible dancer but an excellent free-form wiggler.
Then we went downstairs to The Continental Club and watched an enchanting woman with wild gray hair belt out a few songs. Luke Wilson was there. We ran into our bartender friend, Floyd, and made a new friend, too. One of them brought me more bourbon. The place filled up with members of the country music industry for an awards show after-party and I witnessed a jaw-dropping number of fringed button-ups on men with very serious handlebar mustaches. Best people watching ever. Correction: Best Tuesday Night Ever.
I digress. After the disappointing recipes, I decided to combine a few of my all-time favorite ingredients in a bowl and call it good. (It’s great, actually!) Here we have massaged kale, quinoa, spicy sweet potatoes and black beans served with a dollop of creamy avocado sauce, feta and pepitas for good measure. I’d cook with only these ingredients if it weren’t for diversity’s sake. It’s a hearty, healthy, texture-rich salad that packs great for lunch!
Wusthof 7-Inch Santoku Knife
Lodge 12-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
Cuisinart 7-Cup Food Processor
▸ For more of my favorite cooking tools, shop my healthy kitchen!
Southwestern Kale Power Salad with Sweet Potato, Quinoa & Avocado Sauce
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 large salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Mexican
Healthy kale and quinoa power salad with spicy sweet potato, black beans and creamy avocado sauce. This gluten-free (and easily vegan) salad packs well for lunch, too!
Ingredients
Quinoa and kale
- 1 cup quinoa
- 1 bunch kale, ribs removed and chopped into very small, bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium lime, juiced
- ½ teaspoon salt
Sweet potatoes
- 2 medium sweet potatoes (about 1 ½ pounds), sliced into small, ¼-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
Avocado sauce
- 2 avocados, sliced into long strips
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium jalapeño, deseeded, membranes removed and roughly chopped
- 1 handful cilantro leaves
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander, optional
- Salt, to taste
Everything else
- 1 (14-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked black beans
- ⅓ cup crumbled feta, omit for vegan/dairy-free salad
- ¼ cup pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
- To cook the quinoa: First, rinse the quinoa in a fine mesh colander under running water for a minute or two. In a medium-sized pot, combine the rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil, then cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Remove the quinoa from heat and let it rest, still covered, for 5 minutes. Uncover the pot, drain off any excess water and fluff the quinoa with a fork. Set it aside to cool.
- To cook the sweet potatoes: In a large skillet, warm the olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped sweet potatoes and toss to coat, then add the cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Stir to combine. Once the pan is sizzling, add a scant ¼ cup water, then cover the pan and reduce heat to low to avoid burning the contents. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sweet potato is tender and cooked through, about 10 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, raise the heat back to medium and cook until the excess moisture has evaporated and the sweet potatoes are caramelizing on the edges, about 3 to 7 minutes (add another little splash of olive oil if the potatoes start sticking to the pan). Set aside to cool.
- To prepare the kale: Transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the chopped kale with salt and use your hands to “massage” it, which improves the flavor. Just grab handfuls of kale in your hands and scrunch it up in your palms. Repeat until the kale is darker green in color and more fragrant. Whisk together 2 tablespoons olive oil, the juice of 1 lime and ½ teaspoon salt. Drizzle over the kale and toss to coat.
- To make the avocado sauce: Simply combine the ingredients as listed in a food processor or blender. Blend well and season with salt, to taste.
- To toast the pepitas: In a small skillet over medium-low heat, toast the pepitas, stirring frequently, until they are turning lightly golden on the edges and starting to make little popping noises, about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Once the quinoa has cooled down a bit, pour it into the bowl of kale and toss to combine. Divide the kale and quinoa mixture into four large salad bowls. Top with sweet potatoes, black beans, a big dollop of avocado sauce, and a sprinkle of feta and pepitas.
Notes
Storage suggestions: This salad keeps well, covered and refrigerated, for a few days. To keep the avocado sauce fresh, store it separately in a small bowl, with plastic wrap pressed against the top surface to prevent oxidation.
Change it up: Butternut squash or carrots would be good substitutions for the sweet potatoes.
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Laura
This looks soooo delicious!! I love bowls. I actually just made a really similar one last night with sweet potatoes and kale too! Can’t go wrong with a bowl and yours looks awesome!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen
Beautiful salad, Kate! And any night that starts with free dessert is bound to be good. Sounds like it was fun all around! Have a great weekend!
Heather - Butter & Burlap
I levee any recipe that starts with “Southwestern”. I dunno… could be my Texas roots or something :). I always thought kale was a bitter green, and thus had to be cooked to minimize that. How do you balance it’s bitterness in it’s raw state? Is that where the other toppings play a role?
Kate
Hey Heather, kale is on the bitter side. My trick is to “massage” it with a dash of salt (see step 4). Massaging it improves the texture (makes it less poky) and brings out the sweeter flavors. Salt helps cut bitterness. It gets really good if you let it marinate in dressing for 10 minutes or longer.
Donna
Curly kale has a milder flavor than flat leaf
MB @ Bourbon and Brown Sugar
The salad looks amazing, but I think you might have to try to re-create that griddled cornbread with bourbon ice cream :)
Stefanie
This is my favorite way to eat! Build a bowl! Will have to try :-)
Katia
I could actually eat this everyday… I wasn’t a kale’s fan until i did the massage thing! It does wonders! Love all your recipes Xx
valentina | sweet kabocha
A lot of bourbon in your night :D By the way, these ingredients make a wonderful salad! I made a massaged lacinato kale salad for lunch today…my hands hurt :P
Krista
This is exactly what I’ve been looking for. Will make it next week. Only change I’ll make is use pintos instead of black beans. Not sure why but I think black beans taste terrible. Thanks for sharing! Thanks for helping me in transiting to vegan–who knew it could be so delicious! Have loved every recipe of yours I’ve made.
Sara @ Cake Over Steak
What a fun night!! Bourbon always helps to dance like no one’s watching ;-) Heheheh and this salad bowl sounds absolutely perfect. My Mexican-food-loving heart wishes I was in Austin (especially since it’s so cold here right now), and this dish sounds like a good way to pretend that I’m there.
sara
This looks amazing! I LOVE all the flavors going on here. :)
Katie
Definitely going to make this for lunch next week! Also, I made a kale salad from Sprouted Kitchen this week that called for toasting the pepitas in the pan with muscovado sugar (I used coconut sugar), and a pinch of salt and cayenne. It only took a few extra minutes and really kicked the pepitas up to a whole other level. I’m pretty sure they would be AMAZING on this salad, too, given the flavors. Can’t wait to try it.
Kate
Oh, that is such a smart idea! Gonna try that ASAP. Thanks, Katie!
Kelly
This looks so good!! I recently got diagnosed with celiac disease and I am looking for delicious gluten-free meals. Thanks!
Kate
Kelly, I’m not sure if you found it, but here’s my recipe page for gluten-free recipes: https://cookieandkate.com/gluten-free-recipes/
DS
Why do all cooks say to devein Kale and throw it awy? I devein and chop and add to steamed veggies or a chopped veggie salad. I was taught to use all parts and not throw away. You can chop and use or use to create veggie soup stock, added with carrot stems, outer onion skins, etc.
Kate
That’s a really good point, DS. The stems don’t do well in salads, but you’re right, they are great when they’re cooked.
Annick
I use my stems for juicing
Lauren
MMMMM yes yes yes, this is my kind of lunch! I love Sweet Potato, Avocado (too much) and the beans too – so good
Ella | SparklesAndSuch26
Oh my goodness, this sounds so delicious. I think these are my dessert-island ingredients too!
http://www.youtube.com/sparklesandsuch26
Ella | SparklesAndSuch26
DESERT. DESERT ISLAND. Ha!
Sarah @ Making Thyme for Health
There’s nothing worse for me than spending all weekend (my only days off) in the kitchen and coming up with nothing. Such a crappy feeling. I’ll have to remind myself to call a girlfriend next time and go out for bourbon, haha! I’m sure wiggling on the dance floor makes everything better. ;)
I love everything about this salad. The textures and that avocado sauce sound amazing!
Kate
Ugh, I hate it when that happens! Bourbon makes everything better. :)
Cassie
I LOVE kale, sweet potatoes and quinoa! This sounds like my type of power macrobowl!
Carol
looks delicious!
★★★★★
Anna
Looove this <3
Gaby
The Blacklist is a great show!! And the salad looks delicious too :)
Catherine
Sounds like you had great fun and good memories.
The salad also sounds hearty and delicious. xo Catherine
★★★★★
Cara's Healthy Cravings
That does sound like a night to remember, that’s for sure! And it sounds like you didn’t have too too much bourbon, as you seem to recall most of the night ;)
This salad is packed with so many of my fav things too…Mmmm!
PL
This looks fantastic, and I will make it tonight! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Kristine
I have to comment – I’ve been craving Mexican-esque food ALL DAY but didnt want to commit to enchiladas tonight. THIS is exactly what I’ve been craving. Making this tonight, can’t wait! Looks delish!
Kate
Thanks, Kristine! Hope it turned out great.
Marie
Ohhhh all my favorite things in one bowl. Looks magical! By the way if you finish Blacklist I recommend the Good Wife if you’ve never watched it. So good and so addicting.
Kate
Funny that you mention it—I’ve been alternating episodes of The Blacklist and The Good Wife!
Millie | Add A Little
This looks like salad heaven Kate!
Christine // my natural kitchen
I’m glad your kitchen slump turned around with a happy result like this! I have all these ingredients on hand (they’re favourites in my kitchen too) and I’ll definitely be making this for dinner soon!
Courtney
These are some of my favorite ingredients, too! Thanks for the week-of-lunch idea.
Kate
Perfect! Hope you’re enjoying the salad, Courtney.
Lorna
When a salad looks as beautiful as this, it’s so much easier to accept over pizza!
★★★★
Amy @ Thoroughly Nourished Life
Firstly: Totally understand recipe fail frustration. I am working on a project for a company at the moment and let’s just say that those pumpkin muffins would have made better hockey pucks than edible snacks….
Secondly: that has to be one of the BEST Tuesday nights of ALL time! What a great night out to shake off recipe testing blues!
Thirdly: Wow yes to these power bowls! I can’t wait to make some for my lunchbox! And I have a massive sweet potato in the fridge just waiting for this to come along :)
Enjoy the rest of your time in Austin!
Kate
Uh oh, good luck with the muffins! Thank you, Amy!
Emma {Emma's Little Kitchen}
*These are a few of my favourite things* :)
Brian @ A Thought For Food
Such a hearty bowl! And it contains all my favorite ingredients!
Alexa [fooduzzi.com]
This is SO beautiful! I cannot wait to try it!
Your photography is spectacular, by the way. I’m totally envious!
Michelle O
Made this for dinner tonight. Delicious!!! An awesome mix of SUPER FOODS
Kate
Thanks, Michelle! So glad you enjoyed it.
Joanne
Aren’t recipe fails the WORST?! You know you can never go wrong with sweet potatoes and kale though…and freeform wiggling. I approve.
Kate
The worst!!!
Ghenka
I wanted something light and fresh for dinner tonight and remembered this post! Am I glad I did! This recipe was PERFECT! The flavors were perfect with just the right amount of everything!! Delicious dinner and definitely a keeper!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Ghenka! :)
Kristi Rimkus
What a terrific combination of ingredients for a healthy salad. I’ve linked to your recipe on my healthy recipes weekend roundup, and can’t wait to give it a try.
Kate
Thank you for the link love, Kristi! Hope you love this salad.
Patricia
This was delicious (and so pretty too!). I’ve made a full recipe so that I’d have leftovers for work. Thanks for the suggestions on storing; it travels well!
Emily
Made this for supper tonight – yet another delicious recipe. The flavors and textures harmonized beautifully.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Emily! Happy to hear it!
Bethany
Is this meant to be eaten warm, room temp or cold? It seems with such a short cooling time the sweet potatoes and quinoa would still be quite hot…is that the intention? Is mixing the warm quinoa with the kale meant to soften it up a bit?
Kate
It’s good at any temperature! Massaging the kale also helps break it down.
Krista F
This was delicious! I used pintos instead of black beans–I’m not sure why but I just hate black beans. It really is quite embarrassing. I also added some salsa because I’m weird. I almost wish my husband didn’t hear me raving about it so I didn’t have to share. Might have to make some more day after tomorrow. So yummmmmy!!
★★★★★
Kate
So glad you enjoyed the salad, Krista! Salsa sounds like a great idea to me. Black beans are my default beans. I should probably play around more with other varieties!
Brittney
Kate, I knew this would be delicious looking at the recipe (how could you go wrong with those ingredients) but it exceeded my expectations! Loved the tip about kale — I’ve been making kale salads all week employing the “massaging” step and it really makes a difference. Loved loved loved the combo of flavors and quickly recommended my folks (also vegetarians) to make this asap! Cheers ~ Brittney
Kate
Thank you so much, Brittney! That massaging step really makes all the difference.
Allison
Hello! If you were to make this for the week ahead, would you store the potatoes, beans and kale/quinoa mixture together? Or separate them out into individual containers? I’m nervous about tossing them altogether! Thanks!!
Kate
I would, actually! They all hold up well together.
Toby
Made this the other night and, omg, it is awesome! The avocado crema really makes it, in my opinion. I used it on toast with eggs this morning, and it was perfect!
Kate
Thanks, Toby! Glad to hear it!
Paula
made this two nights ago for omnivore daughter when her husband was out of town. He’s back and she requested it again for today! Excellent!
★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Paula!
Nico
This looks beautiful, so excited to try it for my lunch tomorrow! I am allergic to avocado however, do you recommend any alternatives?
★★★★★
Kate
Hi Nico! I’m sorry for my delay. You can just skip the sauce, or maybe use some sour cream in place of the avocado? Not sure how that would turn out. If you skip the sauce, you might want to use this dressing instead of the basic lime/olive oil marinade listed under the kale. It has a more complex flavor.
BB
Hi Kate!
My company has an employee lunch program with an awesome chef that takes requests. I requested this recipe and he made it today for all 60 people in our office. It was delicious :)
Kate
That is so awesome!!! Thanks for letting me know, BB, and for requesting my dish in the first place!
Anita
This recipe was so delicious!! I’ve never been a fan of sweet potatoes(had a bad experience with it when I was younger) but I decided to try this recipe out because it looked very promising. So glad I did!! I will definitely be making this again. God bless you for sharing these recipes :)
Kate
Thank you, Anita! I’m so glad this recipe convinced you to give sweet potatoes another shot. I love spicy/savory sweet potatoes, but I still can’t stand sweetened sweet potatoes!
marla
hello! i just wanted to tell you how much i enjoyed this salad. it’s amazingly delicious and i can’t wait to make it again. so thank you!
i posted about it on my blog, if you’re interested in seeing it.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Marla! Love your post!
Madeline
Hello Kate!
I’m pretty new to your website but so far have love everything I have tried. My husband usually hates kale, but he has requested this salad again and again (we are having it tonight, too)! I also made your mango salsa for a potluck night and it was a HUGE hit. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
Yay! That’s so great to hear. Thank you, Madeline!
Kiani
I’ve been following your website for awhile and last night made this bowl/salad. I wasn’t able to find any ripe avocados at the grocery store so I made it with a greek yogurt cilantro lime dressing (first result if you type into google) and oh my goodness it was so delicious! My bf also loved it. Also, thank you for teaching me how to soften kale without the stove. I made a different quinoa and kale bowl a few nights ago and cooked the kale way too much. Massaging it with salt and topping with the lime and olive oil resulted in a much better texture, and much fluffier salad! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Kiani! Your dressing sounds awesome. Glad you like that kale trick!
Dede
Hi Kate!
I use so many of your recipes all the time and have never left a review, so I just wanted to finally say thanks! I am vegetarian too and your blog is by far my favorite. I am totally obsessed with kale salads and have now made almost every one on your site! Just tried this one today and its absolutely delicious. Thank you again :)
★★★★★
Kate
Dede, thank you so much for your note! I’m so glad to hear you’ve been cooking along. And yay, glad you enjoyed this one!
Valerie
This salad is unreal. I’ve made it at least 3-4 times in the past month. The only thing I change is roasting the sweet potatoes and adding a little chili powder to them. I’ve used queso fresco, and also omitted the cheese and it’s still just as good without. I love how well it holds up so I can make it to bring for lunches all week. Makes a lot! Even halved it usually gives me 3-4 lunch salads. Love love love. Favorite new recipe!
Kate
Thank you, Valerie! I want to try your version!
Christina
I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely DELICIOUS!! It was really flavorful, filling, and I can’t wait to eat my leftovers for lunch tomorrow! This will definitely be a repeat recipe!! Thank you!!
**I’m Vegan so I skipped the cheese, and I skipped the coriander and added a clove of garlic to the avocado sauce because I like everything garlicky!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Christina! Happy to hear it. Your version sounds awesome.
Colleen
Just made this for lunch and it’s absolutely delicious!! I could eat that avocado cream sauce out of the jar with a spoon. Great flavor all around.
The only thing I wanted more from it was more heat. It had a little bit of a kick, but next time I make it, I’d love to get more spicy. Any ideas on how to add more heat without losing any of the amazing flavor?
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks, Colleen! I’m obsessed with avocado sauce. I’d add a sprinkle of red pepper flakes, or blend some into the avocado sauce. You could also toss a chopped jalapeño into the kale mixture. Peppers vary significantly with their heat levels, so I’d taste as you go!
Colleen
Great idea – thanks!
Janaki
I made this salad bowl for dinner last night and it was delicious!! I love the zinginess of the avocado sauce and the whole dish was tasty and healthy. My husband loved it too – thank you!!
Kate
Awesome! Thank you for letting me know, Janaki!
Natalie T.
HOLY BALLS this was delicious. Integrating this recipe/concept into my cooking repertoire stat. Spices are spot on in the sweet potatoes, and the avocado sauce really ties the dish together. (I didn’t have pepitas or quinoa on hand, so I just used a wild rice blend, which was still delicious. I imagine this works with a variety of grains and greens and beans–yay!) Thanks, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Natalie! :)
Jenn
This was amazing! Made it twice this week. It’s fun, easy, healthy, and oh-so-delicious. Thank you!
Kate
Thank you, Jenn!
LeahSD
I had already planned to make refried black beans today and was hungry for tacos, so made parts of this recipe to put in my tacos….sweet potatoes, avocado dressing, pepitas, kale on top (used cotija cheese because I had some). Everything turned out great (the whole family loved the meal, which is rare). I especially loved the sweet potatoes and am excited to eat the left overs tomorrow in breakfast burritos with eggs (and to try the actual full salad recipe as well). The sweet potatoes were so easy to make and awesome to eat. I was trying to use up some sweet potatoes so ended up using about 2.3 lbs of sweet potatoes with the same amount of spices…still delish (and I thought the kids might like them better with a tad less spice). This is my first Cookie + Kate recipe…looking forward to trying out more.
★★★★★
Kate
Leah, thank you for your note! Delighted to hear that your whole family enjoyed the tacos. Hope you enjoy my recipes just as much!
Nicole
I made this last night for a group of friends and everyone thought it was pretty tasty. I enjoyed the avocado crema- it turned out worth dirtying the food processor in order to make something emulsified with olive oil that acted as a dressing. Though I would make quite a few changes if I were to make it again. Not sure if I would repeat the recipe, just because of the number of dishes it dirties in making it (pot, pan, bowl, and food processor for one dish). Changes I would make—
-reduce the lime to 1 and either split it half/half with the avocado and kale or just add to the avocado; the overall dish was too lime-y for me
-use any extra leftover grains with the kale (I used barley instead of quinoa) otherwise don’t bother with the extra step and dishes (with the beans and sweet potato, the salad already felt well rounded in terms of fiber and protein)
-double the spices on the sweet potato
★★★★
Gail
WOW! I just discovered your website earlier this week and am so excited to try your recipes. The flavors of this salad were wonderful! I did end up making a few changes due to what I had on hand and personal preference. I will definitely put this in my ‘keeper’ collection and will pass it along to my other foodie friends! Thanks Kate! BTW – Cookie is adorable! Looking forward to trying more of your creations!
★★★★★
Liz
I made this Sunday night and the quantities in the recipient given have made 5 perfect lunch portions. I had no coriander and messed up the avocado about and it was still delicious cold for lunch the next day!!! I made and extra olive oil, lemon and salt dressing and applied just before eating, it was really good and satisfying, office colleagues v jealous! Thank you for the great recipie will become a staple for sure x
Kate
Thank you, Liz! So glad you enjoyed the salad. I’d be happy eating this salad for five days in a row, that’s for sure! :)
Debbie
Made this salad for lunch today. It is delicious! I love all the flavours! I am looking forward to having this for the next few days. Thanks for the recipe!
Courtney
This was delicious! The salads were huge too – we definitely had leftovers. Thanks so much for sharing such a wonderful recipe.
Kate
Thank you, Courtney! Happy to hear it!
char
I made this for the hubs and i last evening. i had some brown rice in the fridge, so subbed that for the quinoa. it was SO good! i’ll definitely be making this again. your recipes are the best – i haven’t made one yet that i didn’t love. :o)
★★★★★
Debra
I made this salad Sunday and had leftovers for lunch today. It was great fresh, but overnight sitting in the fridge made it amazing today.
Fantastic recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Debra!
KAREN
I LOVE this salad. I’ve made it at least half a dozen times. one of my favourite one dish meals for my husband and I.
Kate
Thank you, Karen! That’s great to hear! :)
Jeanne Kozelek
Searching for a hearty gluten free meal that was easy to make but with interesting flavors and textures. Your instructions are so clear and accessible – my salad actually looked like the picture! I roasted the sweet potato instead of stovetop, and I added cayenne and cinnamon because that’s how I roll. Scrumptious. Can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray!!! Thank you, Jeanne. :) I try my best!
Sam (the Quantum Vegan)
I made this for dinner tonight, and it was AMAZING. I had to use pinto beans instead of black, but that worked out just fine. I especially loved the avocado sauce — the mix of spicy and creamy was delicious. <3 Thanks for sharing!
Kate
Thank you, Sam! Happy to hear it!
Leslie
I think this salad may be my new favorite! I love it so much that I shared a link to it on my blog so that my daughters could find it. They’re both recently out on their own, and looking for healthy meal options to make at home. Thank you! Here’s a link: pestoandterracotta.wordpress.com/2016/01/26/salad-in-january-you-bet/
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Leslie!!
Tiffany
We made this for dinner 2 hours ago and can’t stop talking about it! OMG! It was so delicious and full of flavor and it was easy to make. My kids loved it, too. We already can’t wait to make it again :) thank you so much!
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you, Tiffany and fam!
Valerie
I keep making this for lunches because I’m craving the mix of tastes and textures. The avocado sauce is so good I’m trying to think of other things to put it on! (I put basil in it instead of cilantro because I’m one of those people who thinks the latter tastes like soap and the sauce turns out great). Thanks for this well-balanced, yummy dish!
★★★★★
Paige S
Hey Kate! I made this yesterday so we could pack in some health at a super bowl party. Everyone loved it! Great recipe.
★★★★★
Grace
when it says that the salad keeps in the refrigerator for a few days is that the kale with the dressing (not sauce) on it? the kale won’t wilt or get soggy with the lime juice?
Paige S
I have been making it on Sundays and keeping it in the fridge to eat as lunches throughout the week. No wilting at all. (Though I’m not keeping the avocado sauce on it.)
Jess
Since I found this recipe about a month ago, I’ve made it once a week. I’m addicted!! So is my husband. The kids are slowly warming up to it. The only changes we made were just adding avocado slices instead of the sauce and then adding salsa to it. My husband requested it for tonight’s dinner and I am happy to make it! The feta cheese really pulls it together.
Thank you!!
★★★★★
Dee Dee
OMG, this looks so delicious and I will most definitely make it this weekend, it has ALL of my favorites including spices!.
★★★★★
Margey
Yummy. I put red onion in with the kale and quinoa along with some cherry tomatoes. Tomatoes look pretty and red onion goes in most everything I can get it into.
Sarah
Had this for dinner with my sister and her fiance and it was fantastic! The recipe made enough to leave us all very satisfied and also for the three of us to pack it for lunch the following day. Thanks so much. love this site.
This is your second dish that I’ve made and can’t wait to try more!
★★★★★
Carole Stratton
Haven’t tried this yet but plan to later today. I’m perusing the Internet for good vegetarian, gluten free recipes, but have a caveat because I have many food sensitivities. Sadly, they are the foods that I love and make up so many vegetarian recipes such as, quinoa, spinach (lettuce in general), asparagus, dairy, walnuts, squash, oats, and the list goes on. This salad looks yummy and I can definitely substitute brown rice for the quinoa without too much change.
(Just a note to your readers: Although I’ve always been concerned about what I eat, I was a little shocked to find out that so many foods were making me sick. Especially since they were the healthy foods we know are good for us, or some of us. Since I gave up my “bad” foods, I have been feeling so much better.)
Valerie
This salad looks amazing! I can’t wait to try it. Sweet potato and feta together are like a dream come true!
Thanks for sharing a great recipe.
I have a quinoa salad that I love making in the summer.
http://doubletherecipe.com/2016/03/14/black-bean-sweet-potato-quinoa-salad/
sophie
I’ve been excited to make this recipe for a while now, and finally did so for dinner last night (with rice as we didn’t have quinoa). My partner and I were both underwhelmed though, sadly! ‘Overpoweringly lime-y’ was the phrase brought to mind – especially the sauce. Maybe my avocados weren’t large enough, maybe not using jalapenos made it unbalanced (my girlfriend can’t cope with spicy), but the flavours were all a bit on the high, sharp side – it needs a little rounding out for my taste. It still holds promise though and I love the idea, so I’d like to try it again with my own tweaks – I’m thinking way less lime and salt, more spices on the sweet potatoes (which may be roasted next time), cheddar instead of feta, and adding in tomatoes.
Annelina
Love seeing all the fresh veggies and fruits. It looks and sounds amazing. warm wishes, Annelina
Serena
I’ve made this recipe a few times now and love it! It’s made its way into my meal plan. I especially love the avocado sauce (I even ate the left overs with chips). Also, I love that it’s vegan and packed with super food! I can’t say enough about it, great recipe.
I replaced quinoa with millet when I made it and added a dash of chili powder to the kale/millet mix just to add a little oomph.
★★★★★
Jennifer
I made this last night for dinner. I must admit, when sampling each part of the salad alone I wasn’t that impressed. But once everything came together…WOW! What an amazing dish… and healthy to boot! I’m having leftovers for lunch and sharing the recipe with everyone I know!
Elizabeth
Kate, this recipe looks very appealing, but just one question: How big a “bunch” of kale did you have in mind? Depending on the time of year and the source (grocery store, farmer’s market), what passes for a bunch can vary a lot.
Kate
I’d shoot for a medium bunch, around 8 ounces.
Jason
This looks amazing. I will be trying this soon!
★★★★★
apprendre et gagner
I enjpy looking through a post that can make men and women think.
Also, many thanks for permitting mee to comment!
Leslie Mikolajczyk
Wow! I used this for my lunch prep this week (yes, I can eat the same thing ALL week long with no problems) and LOVED it. Everyone at school had to try a bite, as well. It was extremely easy to prep and I stored all the ingredients separately to throw together at lunch. The toasted pepitas and creamy avocado really make this an outstanding meal. Thank you for this recipe!
Ingrid
This has got to be one of the best and tasty vegetarian recipes I have ever had. Each item could be on its own, or all 4 of them make a very tasty feast. This recipe definitely goes on the top of my list for food to make!
★★★★★
Beth
This was GREAT! A co-worker made it for me and I can’t get over how light but filling it was. It’s def a feel good meal!
★★★★★
Rachel
I am just making this again for the second time in less than 2 weeks. It is sooooo good and I look forward to eating it, I may just have it for breakfast tomorrow. This is the first recipe I have ever commented on. I love it!!!!!
Momma bear
Yum! My daughter grudgingly tried it and loved it! She has a citrus allergy so we substituted 1 tbsp. cider vinegar for the lime. Not everyone in the family can eat quinoa so this has been the perfect lunch!
★★★★★
Kathleen
Love this recipe. I make it all the time. The only change I’ve made to the recipe is that I heat and add onion and spices (garlic, cumin, smoked chipotle peppers) to the black beans. And although your avocado sauce is way better, if I’m in a hurry I do occasionally substitute pre-made guacamole.
Carolyn Adams
I made the Southwestern kale salad with quinoa and sweet potatoes. Wow!
I had only 1 good lime and half a leftover avocado, and chipotle powder in place of the smoked paprika! Fantastic! The sweet potatoes were delicious and tender, perfect ! Great great recipe! Thank you for putting it out for me to find. Also thanks for the excellent method for fluffy quinoa!
Vanessa
Delicious!
★★★★★
Amy
This is now one of my absolute favorite recipes ever! I added zucchini and yellow squash to the sweet potatoes because my garden is booming! I LOVE the sacue also… And even my husband who hates avacados loves the sauce on it!
Katherine Francis
I love this salad! I make it just about once every two weeks :-)It is perfect in every way, and the pepitas absolutely make it.
★★★★★
Donna
Very Yummy. Made 2 changes : Added 3 Tbl. Greek Yogurt & 1 large Garlic clove, crushed to Avocado sauce.
★★★★
Lucy
I made this tonight in a huge hurry, with hardly any time before having to leave the house. It was easy and quick to throw together. The colors were gorgeous and it was out of this world delicious!
Having just ribboned a bunch of kale last night, I didn’t feel like taking the time, so I whipped out my food processor and pulsed it. I’ve never done this before but think I will again. Quick and easy. It did the chopping and massaging for me.
My husband eats kale because I make it, but he loved this one. The only bummer was that we ate in the car and couldn’t have seconds.
Definitely a winner!
Kate
Thanks, Lucy! I never thought to use the food processor to pulse kale. Interesting! So glad you both enjoyed this one.
Susan
I made this tonight as written, and it looked just like the picture, but I wish I had listened to those who mentioned making changes. It was ok, but we thought it was such a waste of good ingredients on this when better options are available. After tasting I added in a bit of garlic since we both found the flavor lacking, and I see others also added in spices.
The lime totally overpowered the avocados so we could barely taste them. So much better to have just sliced them on top with salsa as another reviewer said. I’d have omitted the sweet potatoes and saved that for another recipe.
My spouse, who’s the least picky eater I know, refused to eat the leftovers, so all that was pitched. He said these ingredients minus the sweet potatoes would have made a great bean taco salad and tasted so much better. I completely agree. I really wanted to love this, but sadly could not. Next time just layer on a plate the following: sml handful of crushed tortilla chips, warm brown rice, warm black beans, mixed salad greens, chopped tomatoes, onions,avocados, cilantro,olives, salsa, and optional sour cream or yogurt or lite ranch dressing.
★★
Kate
Hi Susan, I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy this one.
Pat
Love it, beautiful and delious! Thank you,
Pat
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Pat!