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5 from 1 vote

Autumn Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli and Brown Rice

This Autumn Kale Salad with Sweet Potatoes, Broccoli and Brown Rice recipe is nice and hearty, it’s naturally vegan and gluten-free, and all of those sweet and savory autumn flavors are SO delicious together!
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time30 minutes
Total Time45 minutes
Course: Salad
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free, vegan, vegetarian
Servings: 4 -6 servings

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients:

  • 2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
  • 2 cups roughly-chopped broccoli florets (about 1 small head of broccoli)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 4 cups chopped kale leaves
  • 2 cups cooked brown rice or farro
  • 2/3 cup dried cranberries or cherries
  • 2/3 cup chopped toasted pecans
  • (optional: 1/2 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese)

Vinaigrette Ingredients:

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
  • pinch of salt and black pepper and garlic powder to taste

Instructions

To Make The Salad:

  • Heat oven to 425°F.
  • In a large mixing bowl, toss the diced sweet potatoes with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and toss until combined
  • Spread the sweet potatoes out in an even layer on a large baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and toss the sweet potatoes for even cooking.
  • Meanwhile, as the sweet potatoes are cooking, add the broccoli to that same large mixing bowl, along with the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and toss to combine.  Once the sweet potatoes have been tossed, gently push them to one side of the baking sheet, and spread the broccoli out on the second half in an even layer.  Bake for an additional 15 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are soft and cooked through, and the broccoli is roasted.  Remove from the oven, and transfer the sweet potatoes and broccoli to a large mixing bowl.
  • Add the kale*, brown rice, cranberries, pecans, and vinaigrette (see below), and toss to combine.
  • Serve warm, sprinkled with cheese if you’d like.  Or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 3 days.

To Make The Vinaigrette:

  • Whisk all ingredients together until combined.

Notes

*In order to be sure that the kale is nice and soft, I recommend tossing it beforehand with 1 tablespoon of the vinaigrette, and massaging it with your fingers for 1 minute until the leaves are dark and soft.