Warm Kale and Lentil Salad
A meal prep friendly fiber and nutrient packed warm salad to welcome colder days.
Sometimes the crisp fall weather calls for a warm kale salad. This recipe is easy to make and is packed with all your favorite fall ingredients.
If you’re looking for more fall cozy recipes, give the following recipes a try.
- Oven roasted vegetarian stuffed acorn squash with freekeh pilaf
- Vegan sloppy joe cups baked in flaky biscuits
- Weekday lentil bolognese pasta bake
How to make a warm kale and lentil salad
This my go to recipe for the weeks when I want to meal prep a salad but I don’t want to eat a cold salad! Warm salads are the perfect vessel to get all your servings of vegetables while also getting the cozy and comfy feeling of a hot meal. I like to meal prep the ingredients ahead of time and then toss everything together before serving!
Key ingredients & substitutions
- Lentils – you can use any type of lentils: red, green, or brown. I like to cook mine from dry but you can also use canned lentils or substitute for another type of grain such quinoa or bean
- Kale – a superfood that is high in an abundance of vitamin C and K, I typically prefer to eat kale that is not raw so that it is easier to digest
- Sweet Potato – adds a crispy, sweet, and savory element to each bite. I like to roast these in the oven in batches for meal prep. Substitute with roasted chickpeas for more plant protein
- Maple Dijon Poppy Seed Vinaigrette– this is a great salad dressing for fall but you can use any type of salad dressing, even just some olive oil and salt!
Warm Lentil and Kale Salad
A meal prep friendly fiber and nutrient packed warm salad to welcome colder days.
Ingredients
Method
- Preheat oven. Preheat oven to 400℉. Skin the sweet potato and cut into 1 inch cubes. Coat with 1 tbsp of olive oil, smoked paprika, and cinnamon. Spread evenly across a baking tray and roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
- Cook the lentils. While the sweet potato is cooking, bring a small pot of water to boil and add the dried lentils. Cook for 15 minutes and then drain out the water.
- Prep the kale. Wash the kale and discard the stems from the leaves. Massage the leaves for 1 minute to soften the kale leaves, this makes the kale leaves more chewable. After the sweet potato is done roasting for 40 minutes, turn off the oven and add the kale leaves on a separate pan. Leave the kale leaves and the sweet potatoes in the oven for 5 additional minutes. The residual heat will help soften up the kale leaves.
- Make the poppy seed vinaigrette. In a small jar or bowl, mix together 3 tbsp of olive oil, dijon mustard, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, poppy seed, and grated garlic.
- Assemble the salad. Mix together the cooked lentils, roasted sweet potatoes, and warm kale. Toss with the poppy seed vinaigrette and add the sliced almonds and dried cranberries.
