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Roasted sweet potatoes, caramelized onions and crispy chickpeas topped with a delicious avocado dressing makes this quinoa sweet potato salad the perfect make-ahead meal.
When lunches are on the table, a salad is the first thing that comes to mind - from a kale crunch salad to a roasted Thanksgiving salad to a kale sweet potato salad to a roasted pumpkin salad, there are endless options.
And this quinoa sweet potato salad not only works as a great make-ahead lunch, but also dinner as well.
Think of this sweet potato salad as Mexican meets Mediterranean. You get some of the Mexican flavors with the spices like the chili powder, paprika and cumin but then the Mediterranean comes in with the chickpeas and pistachios, giving you that added crunch.
Why This Recipe Works
- Flavorful - the sweet potatoes and chickpeas are loaded with spices, but the avocado dressing inspired by Pinch of Yum, really makes the meal.
- Make-ahead friendly - you can prep all of the ingredients ahead of time and toss everything together right before eating.
- Healthy - some salads are healthy on the surface, but actually aren't. That's not the case with this quinoa sweet potato salad where you get nutrients, from the sweet potatoes, quinoa and dressing.
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Ingredient Notes
- Quinoa - helps make the salad more filling and adds nutrients.
- Sweet potatoes - adds nutrients and flavor.
- Chickpeas - adds crunch and nutrients.
- Spices - enhances the flavor.
- Kale - I use baby kale for this salad.
- Pistachios - every salad needs some crunch and this is where these come into play.
- Avocado dressing - while it is extra work than just buying at the store, it is worth the time and complements the salad.
Ingredient Swaps
As with any recipe, you can swap out ingredients. Some variations include:
- I use quinoa to make the salad more filling, but farro or barely are options as well.
- Sweet potatoes are my go-to, however butternut squash is a good substitute.
- I mentioned above that I use baby kale, but but spinach or curly kale works too.
- While I like pistachios, pepitas work as well or sunflower seeds.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Make the dressing in a food processor and set aside.
Toss the sweet potato, chickpeas and shallots with olive oil and spices and bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes.
Toss everything together in a bowl before adding the dressing right before serving.
FAQs
Yes. In general, butternut squash and pumpkin are a great replacement for sweet potatoes and cook in about the same amount of time.
Baby kale is exactly what it sounds like - a younger version of kale. The flavor isn't as strong and it doesn't need to be massaged with oil before serving like kale.
Also in general baby kale doesn't need to be cooked. Think of it as similar to arugula.
Yes. You get the nutrients of the quinoa, kale and sweet potatoes as well as the avocado dressing.
Serve the salad at room temperature. This is a salad that is best served at room temperature or even warm. If making ahead, just pull out of the fridge one hour before serving.
While you can prepare ahead of time, you don't want it to sit in the dressing for longer than 30 minutes at most.
You can keep the quinoa, diced sweet potatoes and chickpeas in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Then just mix in the dressing when ready.
Benefits of Quinoa
Quinoa has become super popular and there is good reason for it. Some of the health benefits of quinoa include
- Contains all nine essential amino acids.
- Has twice as much fiber as other grains which lowers cholesterol, blood pressure and glucose levels.
- Contains iron which keeps our red blood cells healthy.
- Has lysine which is essential for tissue growth and repair.
- Is rich in magnesium which relaxes blood vessels.
- High in riboflavin which improves energy metabolism.
- Contains a high content of manganese which is an antioxidant.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Be consistent with your diced sweet potatoes. You want them to cook in the same amount of time. If you decide to dice the vegetables at 1 inch instead of ½ inch, just keep in mind they'll take longer to cook.
- Roast the vegetables and chickpeas long enough so the veggies are cooked and caramelized and the chickpeas are crispy.
- if using as a make-ahead lunch, keep the avocado dressing separate and toss right before eating.
Other Salad Recipes
If you’ve tried this quinoa sweet potato salad or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Quinoa Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 cup quinoa, uncooked
- 1 ½ lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and diced into ½" cubes
- 1 (14 oz can) chickpeas, drained and washed
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 cup pistachios, roasted
Avocado Dressing
- 1 avocado
- 1 cup Italian parsley and cilantro
- 1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed
- 2 garlic cloves
- juice of two limes
- ¾ cup water
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ cup pistachios, roasted
Instructions
Salad
- Cook quinoa according to package instructions and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, add the diced sweet potatoes, chickpeas and shallots. Toss with olive oil, chili powder, paprika, cumin, salt and pepper. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and add the sweet potato mix in an even layer. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until sweet potato is tender and chickpeas are crispy, flipping halfway through.
- Toss the kale, sweet potato mixture, quinoa and pistachios in large bowl until mixed. Add dressing right before serving.
Avocado Dressing
- Add all of the ingredients, except the pistachios to a food processor and pulse until combined. And pistachios and pulse until smooth.
Notes
- Be consistent with your diced sweet potatoes. You want them to cook in the same amount of time. If you decide to dice the vegetables at 1 inch instead of ½ inch, just keep in mind they'll take longer to cook.
- Roast the vegetables and chickpeas long enough so the veggies are cooked and caramelized and the chickpeas are crispy.
- if using as a make-ahead lunch, keep the avocado dressing separate and toss right before eating.
- Serve the salad at room temperature. This is a salad that is best served at room temperature or even warm. If making ahead, just pull out of the fridge one hour before serving.
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