If you or anyone you know thinks that salads are boring or not filling, I challenge you to make this salad and revisit that belief. This is seriously one of the best salads I have ever made, and I am confident you’ll love it too! It’s full of protein (kale, chicken sausage, & feta cheese), healthy carbs (sweet potatoes), and healthy fats (olive oil & pine nuts). It’s truly a triple threat.
This salad is naturally gluten free, but if you have alternative dietary restrictions, you can make the following substitutions:
- Dairy Free – either completely omit the feta cheese or add Trader Joe’s vegan feta cheese
- Vegan – either completely omit the sausage or replace it with air fried tofu, vegan sausage, or tempeh
- Nut Free – replace pine nuts with sunflower or pumpkin seeds
If you’re happen to be on a time crunch, I recommend roasting the sweet potatoes needed for this recipe in advance. Without the oven, this recipe comes together super quickly.
Before we get into the recipe, I think a salad close up is required. Brace yourself for the beauty you are about to witness…
Alright, we can start cooking now.
Roasted Vegetable, Kale, & Sausage Salad Bowl
Equipment
- Oven or air fryer
- Spatula
- Large bowl
- Foil or silicone baking sheet
- Non-stick pan
Ingredients
Roasted Sweet Potatoes
- 2 large Sweet potatoes
- Olive oil
- 3 cloves Garlic (sub garlic powder)
- 1/2 small White onion (sub onion powder)
- Red chili flakes (optional)
- Salt & pepper
Salad Ingredients
- 3 handfuls Shredded or chopped kale
- 2-3 Chicken sausages (sub alternative protein)
- 1/3 cup Crumbled feta cheese
- 1/3 cup Dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup Pine nuts (sub walnuts)
- 3-5 leaves Fresh basil (chopped)
- 1 medium Lemon
- Olive oil
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
Roasted Sweet Potato Recipe
- Preheat your oven to 425°F.
- Wash the sweet potatoes really well and peel the skin off if you desire. Peeling them is not necessary as long as you give them a good scrubbing.
- Dice the potatoes into cubes and place them into a large bowl.
- If you are using fresh garlic cloves and onion, mince both and prepare to add them into the bowl.
- Generously drizzle the sweet potato cubes with olive oil and season with the minced garlic and onion (or garlic + onion powder). Add salt, pepper, and red chili flakes if you like.
- Mix well until each piece of sweet potato is coated in olive oil and seasoning.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and evenly disperse the potatoes. Bake for 35-45 minutes, mixing halfway. Broil for the last 1-2 mins to get a nice crisp.
Salad Recipe
- Slice the chicken sausage into bite-sized circles and heat up oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan fry the sausage until it develops a crispy, golden-brown crust.
- Add shredded kale to your favorite bowl and drizzle with olive oil and juice from a lemon. Massage the liquids into the kale with your (preferably clean) hands by squeezing parts of the kale for 1-3 minutes.
- Once the sausage is cooked, add it to the bowl of kale.
- Once the sweet potatoes are out of the oven, spoon them into the kale as well.
- Add in the crumbled feta cheese, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and fresh basil.
- Drizzle the salad with more olive oil and lemon juice, add salt and pepper, and mix everything well until completely combined.
- Enjoy!
