Quinoa Salad with Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale & Pesto Vinaigrette

This hearty vegan quinoa salad features crisp and tender roasted sweet potato, toasted sunflower seeds and an outrageously flavorful, pesto-inspired dressing. It would be a great light dinner on its own, or a suitable side salad for soups and sandwiches. It packs great for lunches, too! Recipe yields 4 medium servings.

👥 4 Servings⏱️ Prep & Cook: 40 min⏳ Prep: 10 min🔥 Cook: 30 min👤 Cookie and Kate📖 cookieandkate

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🥘 Ingredients

Check off ingredients as you prepare them:

🍳 Cookware

●baking sheet
●oven
●pan
●saucepan
●blender
●food processor
●bowl

📝 Preparation Steps

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a large, rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper for easy cleanup.

To prepare the sweet potatoes, transfer them to the prepared baking sheet and toss them with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and arrange in a single layer. Bake for ⏱️ 10 minutes, then toss and bake for 10 to ⏱️ 15 minutes longer, until tender and browning. Set the pan aside to cool.

medium sweet potatoes (about ¾ pound total), peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces2olive oil2 tablespoons½ cup olive oilSalt and pepperPepper, to taste

Meanwhile, combine the rinsed quinoa and broth in a medium saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook until the quinoa has absorbed all the liquid, about ⏱️ 20 minutes. Fluff the quinoa with a fork and set aside to cool.

quinoa, rinsed1 cup

To make the vinaigrette, combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until mostly smooth, but with small pieces of herbs still visible.

Transfer the chopped kale to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with a dash of salt and then use your hands to “massage” the kale, grabbing big handfuls at a time and gently squeezing them in your fist until the kale is darker in color and more fragrant, about ⏱️ 15 seconds.

Add the sweet potatoes, quinoa, kale, sunflower seeds and sliced basil to the bowl. Drizzle with about ⅓ cup dressing and gently toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated. Taste and mix in more dressing if desired (you may want to use all of it).

medium sweet potatoes (about ¾ pound total), peeled and diced into ½-inch pieces2quinoa, rinsed1 cup

Serve the salad at room temperature or cold. Leftovers will keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 2 days.

Nutrition Facts

calories

636 calories

fat Content

46 g

fiber Content

7.2 g

sugar Content

5.1 g

sodium Content

600.4 mg

protein Content

11.7 g

trans Fat Content

0 g

cholesterol Content

0 mg

carbohydrate Content

50.7 g

saturated Fat Content

6.2 g

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