This kale sweet potato salad has something for everyone—sweet, salty, crunchy, tangy—and your mom will be so happy you are eating kale! Roast the sweet potato and onion a day ahead, if you like, to save time.
Ingredients
- sweet potato: 1 piece
- red onion: 0.5 piece
- olive oil: 2 Tbsp
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- strips bacon: 4 piece
- bunch kale: 1 piece
- Granny Smith apple - cored and: 1 piece (diced)
- green onions: 2 piece (sliced)
- apple cider vinegar: 0.25 cup
- Dijon mustard: 1 tsp
- honey: 1 Tbsp (to taste)
- salt and freshly ground black pepper: (to taste)
- raw, unsalted sunflower seeds: 0.5 cup (optional)
- bacon grease or other oil: 0.25 cup
Metric Conversion
Stages of cooking
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Line a 12 x18-inch rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
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Peel and dice sweet potato into 3/4-inch pieces, about 2 cups, and place in a bowl. Dice onion into 3/4-inch pieces and add to sweet potatoes. Add olive oil; season with salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Spread vegetables in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
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Bake in the center of the preheated oven until sweet potatoes are fork tender, but not mushy, about 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
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Meanwhile, cook bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until brown and crisp, 5 to 8 minutes, turning occasionally. Remove from heat, crumble, and set aside. Reserve bacon fat and allow to cool, but do not refrigerate.
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Remove tough stems from kale, rinse well, and place in a colander to drain. Lightly press kale with paper towels to assist with drying.
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Cut kale into bite-sized pieces and place in a large salad bowl. Add cooled sweet potatoes and onions, apple, and green onions.
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To make dressing, place reserved bacon fat, about 1/4 cup, in a pint jar with a well-fitting lid. If you don't have enough bacon fat, add enough oil to get to 1/4 cup. Add vinegar, mustard, honey, and salt and pepper, to taste. Attach the lid and shake vigorously to combine.
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Pour dressing over salad, and toss. Sprinkle crumbled bacon over salad, and garnish with sunflower seeds.