This is salad number three in the Big Ass Salad series and this Curried Sweet Potato Salad is truly a wonderful lunch salad option. It stores really well and can hang out in the fridge for a few days without issue.
And this dressing. SWOON! This dressing!
This fig dressing with balsamic vinegar is tangy, sweet, and goes so well with sweet potatoes and apples.
While normally I would think of these flavors as fall flavors, I don’t discriminate when it comes to salads. The flavors work and the ingredients are readily available at all points in the year.
So it’s a keeper! Dig in and try out this Big Ass Salad!
What is a big ass salad?
I had a hankering for some huge salads in my life and so I came up with about 10 salads that I’m calling Big Ass Salads. These are hearty, filling, and interesting salads that can be used in a variety of ways.
Need a good work lunch? Big ass salad!
Need a good one-bowl dinner? Big ass salad!
Get it?!
How to roast sweet potatoes with curry
The anchor of this salad is these roasted sweet potatoes. I like to peel the sweet potatoes and toss them with some olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder.
Roast these sweet potatoes at 400˚F for about 20 minutes and they will be tender and browned around the edges.
Just make sure these cool off before adding them to the salad!
Also, on the pecans, I like to toast them lightly in a dry skillet over low heat until they are fragrant, but just be careful not to burn them.
Making the fig dressing
This is a crazy flavorful dressing and will be in my normal salad dressing rotation. It’s slightly sweet, but also really tangy and a little goes a long way!
Whisk everything together and spoon it over the salad.
This salad is sturdy enough that you can actually dress the whole salad and it still does fine in the fridge for a few days or you can dress it right before serving.
How to prepare (massage) kale for this salad
Kale has a bad reputation, but it can be really delicious as a salad base.
I like to cut off the stems from the kale and roughly chop the kale. Make sure the kale is really clean and then add it to a big bowl.
Add a small drizzle of olive oil, fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and work that light dressing into the kale with your hands. Yes! Use your hands!
That will help season the kale and work a little of the dressing into the crevices of the kale. It truly does make a difference in the flavor of the salad.
Let’s see what else goes into this salad!
Other ingredients in this sweet potato salad
There are some big flavors in this sweet potato salad and even more options if you want to expand a bit. As a base though, here are the things I added to mine.
- Pecans. I like to toast the pecans so they are even nuttier.
- Shallots. Sliced shallot adds some nice sweet onion flavor to the salad.
- Apples. I like gala apples for this salad but any red apple gives some fruity sweetness.
- Goat cheese. I didn’t add any goat cheese to mine, but it would work perfectly in this salad if you are a cheese fan.
Curried Sweet Potato Salad with Fig Dressing
Ingredients
- 2 sweet potatoes
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon curry powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper
- 2 medium apples, diced
- 5-6 cups Kale, torn
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lemon, juice only
- ½ cup Pecans, roasted
- 2 medium shallot, minced
Fig Dressing:
- 2 tablespoons fig jam
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
For Sweet Potatoes:
- Preheat oven to 400˚F. Peel and dice sweet potatoes into about 1/2-inch cubes. Toss sweet potato cubes with olive oil, salt, pepper, and curry powder and spread out on a baking sheet. Bake sweet potatoes for about 20 minutes until they are tender and browned in spots. Let cool before tossing into salad.
For Fig Dressing:
- Add fig jam, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, honey, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a small bowl and whisk together. As always taste and adjust flavors to your liking.
To Assemble Salad:
- Add torn kale to a large bowl and drizzle with a little olive oil, fresh lemon, and a pinch of salt. Use your fingers to work that mixture into the kale, massaging it gently.
- Toast pecans in a small skillet over low heat until fragrant, 3-4 minutes. Watch closely so they don’t burn.
- Top pecans on kale and add shallot and diced apples. Spread roasted sweet potatoes on top and drizzle with fig dressing.
- Leftover salad will keep well in the fridge for 4-5 days.
Nutrition
Did you make this recipe?
Storing leftover salad
This is one of the heartier salads in the Big Ass Salad series. It actually keeps really well even if it is dressed and will keep fine for 4-5 days.
Pack this curried sweet potato salad for lunch or just serve it as a dinner side salad for many days!
A few other great sweet potato recipes!
Sweet potatoes are one of my favorite recipes because they are so versatile. Here are some recipes that show off all the interesting ways you can use sweet potatoes!
- Sweet Potato fritters
- Sweet Potato Enchiladas
- Sweet Potato hash (Sheet Pan)
- Sweet Potato Gnocchi
- Grilled Sweet Potatoes from Simply Recipes
Chef John
Amazing recipe! Perfect combination, my wife was delighted with this salad.
Nick
So glad you liked it Chef! Thanks for the comment!