April 1, 2014
(last updated March 3, 2025) 
This spicy peanut kale salad packs a major punch of flavor! The salad is made with a creamy, spicy peanut dressing, which softens and seasons the greens. Roasted sweet potatoes add texture and heartiness to the dish, while roasted peanuts contribute some crunch.
This spicy peanut kale salad is a proof that delicious recipes and meals can grow out of humble beginnings.
I first made the salad on a night when I had a bunch of kale, one big sweet potato on my kitchen countertop, and not much else.
I wasn’t sure what to make, and then I remembered that I always have a jar of peanut butter and some tamari in my pantry.
A creamy, delicious, spicy peanut butter dressing followed, and after that came one of the best kale salads I’d ever had.
It was all the better because I cubed and roasted my sweet potato and added it to the mix. More flavor, more texture, more filling!
Whether or not you’re a salad lover (let alone a kale salad lover), I promise you’re likely to fall in love with this flavorful mixture.
A creamier, heartier kale salad
I love kale salads, and I’ve made countless variations of them over the years.
Many of my favorite kale salad recipes are dressed with vinaigrette. This includes my tofu feta kale salad with sun-dried tomatoes, my brussels sprout kale salad, and kale salad with cranberries, coconut bacon, and lentils.
That’s a great way to enjoy raw kale. This salad is different: rather than featuring a vinaigrette, it features a creamy, spicy, peanut-based dressing.
This is a dressing so good that you’ll want to enjoy it as a dip, a finishing touch for vegan bowls, and a sauce for bowls of noodles.
In the meantime, it’s a lovely way to turn regular ‘ole kale salad into a dish that’s creamier and more substantial than the usual.
Sweet potatoes = added nutrient density
Whenever I’m looking to add extra nutrient-density and heft to a salad, I turn to roasted sweet potatoes.
Sweet potatoes add healthful, energizing complex carbohydrates to salads. They also contribute fiber, B-Vitamins, magnesium, and beta carotene.
Sweet potatoes have the effect of making dishes heartier without making them heavy. In the case of this spicy peanut kale salad, the dish remains plant-forward and light, yet much more filling than a simple side salad.
How to make spicy peanut kale salad
Roasting your sweet potato will require a little patience, but otherwise, this is a simple dish to prepare. Here are the steps.
Step 1: Roast the sweet potato
I like to cut my sweet potato into 3/4-inch cubes for roasting. No need to peel them for this recipe: scrubbing them will be just fine!
The sweet potatoes will need about 25-35 minutes in a 400°F oven. They’re ready when they’re golden brown and just crisping at the edges.
Step 2: Blend or whisk the dressing
While the sweet potatoes are roasting, you can prepare the dressing.
It’s easy to do this in a personal blender, or you can whisk the mixture together in a mixing bowl. Be sure to use a creamy peanut butter for the best results.
The “spicy” bit in this salad is a squeeze of sriracha in the dressing, which you can adjust to fit your tolerance/craving for heat.
Step 4: Massage the kale
The next step in making the spicy peanut kale salad is to “massage” the kale.
What this really means is that you’ll work the dressing into torn or chopped kale with your hands. Some squeezing and pressure helps to soften the raw greens.
Step 5: Add the sweet potatoes to the bowl and mix well
Finally, add the roasted sweet potatoes to your mixing bowl. Toss everything together well—your salad is now ready to plate!
Be sure to top the salad with dry roasted peanuts—halves or roughly chopped pieces—before serving.
It’s a small touch, but it adds necessary, pleasant crunch to an otherwise simple dish.
Meal prep and storage
One of the nicest things about using raw kale as a salad base is that it holds up well to storage. It’s sturdier than most salad greens, so kale salads have a longer life for meal prep.
You can store leftover portions of the spicy peanut kale salad for up to three full days in the fridge.
Spicy Peanut Kale Salad with Roasted Sweet Potatoes
Author –Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 large or two medium sweet potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 3/4-inch/2cm cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 65g
- 1/3 cup water 80ml
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce (substitute coconut aminos)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon finely minced ginger
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup
- dash of sriracha (to taste)
- 1 medium bunch curly kale, stemmed and chopped or torn into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup dry roasted peanut halves (roughly chop if you like)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add the sweet potato cubes to a lined or nonstick baking sheet. Drizzle them with the avocado and season them with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer the sheet to the oven. Roast the potatoes for 25-35 minutes, or until the cubes are golden brown and crisping at the edges. Stir the potatoes on the sheet once halfway through cooking. Allow the sweet potatoes to cool for 10-15 minutes before adding them to the salad.
- While the potatoes are roasting, blend the peanut butter, water, tamari, rice vinegar, cider vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, maple syrup, and sriracha in a blender till smooth, or use a fork to whisk it all thoroughly.
- Once the sweet potatoes are ready, place the kale into a large mixing bowl. Pour the dressing over the kale. Use your hands to "massage" the dressing into the kale. Use some pressure—this will help to soften the greens!
- Add the roasted sweet potato cubes to the mixing bowl. Toss everything to combine. Divide the salad onto plates or into bowls and top each portion with a tablespoon of the chopped peanuts. Enjoy.
This dish has color, texture, and so much flavor. It’s proof that vegetables can be scene-stealers, and I hope that you’ll love it!
xo
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Categories: Recipes,
Salads
Method: Oven
Ingredients: Kale, Sweet Potato
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
Method: Oven
Ingredients: Kale, Sweet Potato
Dietary Preferences: Gluten Free, Soy Free, Vegan
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This made a great lunch with baked tofu mixed in! I had some leftover frozen roasted sweet potatoes in my fridge (Good and Gather brand from Target) and this made it super easy to throw together the salad for a packed lunch. Only substitutions I made were gochujang instead of sriracha and PB2 peanut butter (easier to mix into dressings in my experience).
So glad that you enjoyed it, Vee! I love the idea of adding baked tofu. That’s a good tip about PB2, as well.
This looks really good. And must have taste good also. I have to try it one day. There are quite a lot of ingredients to do it, but I’ll do it.
Great recipe, sweet potatoes combines perfectly with kale. I didnt “massage” it tho I just quickly steamed it. Salut!
Oh,my goodness. Made this salad today for the man’s lunch and it was so yummy! DEFINITELY will make this again. Thank you so much for this lovely creation!
It sounds deliciously simple! Love it. And the pictures turned out very pretty (as always). If I am ever in a pinch with not much produce, I always hope I at least have sweet potatoes and kale – the two pair so nicely =)
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I so see myself in this picture hehe. A lot of times I find my self with only few remaining bits of produce in my fridge. This is great idea and I love spicy!
Enjoy!
Love kale, and a spicy peanut salad? Sounds delicious !
It’s tasty! Enjoy.
You had me at spicy, peanut and KALE.
I figured ๐
Yummy ..tried n love this .. thanks ….
I love peanut sauce, it’s a staple in my household! I haven’t tried adding sesame oil or vinegar yet, but this gives me ideas for some new variations. And I agree that scrapings can sometimes produce the most creative meals. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks, Dorota!
This looks wonderful, sometimes the best creations come from sparse ingredients!
I’m a spicy food fanatic! This looks very tasty! Good job, Gena ๐
Thanks Lady ๐
Yes! Love this, Gena. I think one of the best things for me was to go more minimalist while in Houston which meant paring down a lot of things, but also cooking with the flow. Less stress, all around.
Also, do you store your sweet potatoes in the fridge? I always keep mine in the pantry.
I know I don’t have to, but I always do (in part because there’s not much room elsewhere!).
Gorgeous salad Gena! And I could definitely learn a thing or two from this post. I’m trying to accept the fact that meals don’t always have to be “perfect”. I thought this article from The Kitchn on the subject was nice http://www.thekitchn.com/weekend-meditation-it-doesnt-a-121609.
love this Emma, thanks honey xxxxxx
Yeah, this is lovely. Thanks for sharing, Emma. XOXO
This is exactly my kind of salad – and given I often don’t have a perfect ingredient list, quite like the sorts of things that randomly come out of my kitchen ๐ I love the sound of your dressing ingredient mix.
Totally agree about the spontaneity thing- we shop according to planned meals, but try to leave room for a bit of creativity, This salad looks brilliant ๐
Hope you enjoy it ๐
“Iโve been trying to use what I have, rather than constantly re-stocking in order to execute a vision.”
Gena, we’re definitely on the same wave length here! I find that often my best recipes are the ones that aren’t too forced. You know, doing exactly what you did, which is just free-styling it in the kitchen with what’s left. I think it’s a great mindset–because you’re utilizing what you have, applying some creativity, & the end result is yummy food & less waste!
This is absolutely my kind of meal! Love anything peanut-y &/or kale-y. Even better when they’re together.
Janae, as you know, you are a MAJOR source of inspiration to me when it comes to being adaptable, frugal, and simple in the kitchen. I am so glad you liked this recipe.
I’ve been eagerly waiting for this recipe ever since you posted a picture on Instagram! I cannot wait to make this one, Gena ๐
LMK how it goes!
The dressing sounds amazing! Your tiny dash of siracha is still probably bigger than mine would be:) Do you just leave the sweet potato raw?
Natalie, what a ridiculous omission! The potato is roasted. I updated the recipe ๐ And yes — the dressing is great.
I have a huge head of purple cabbage from my CSA that I’d be happy to share if we were neighbors! In fact, I was just researching how exactly to use it a little while ago. Your salad looks vibrant and enticing; I’m certain it was delicious.
I hadn’t thought of going with the flow while cooking as a lesson for recovery and, you’re right, it’s a powerful one. Thanks for bringing my attention to it. I’ll be mindful of this from now on. xoxo
Yummy! Have you ever tried walnut butter? I make my own by adding raw walnuts (and sometimes a pinch of salt) to a food processor, then blending until it’s creamy. It makes a really great base for salad dressings, as well.
Salty/sweet is the ultimate combo. And peanuts are always the perfect ingredient to bind the two together. I’m obsessed with the peanut sauce at Real Food Daily (have you tried it?!) but I’ve stopped ordering it because they’re oddly inconsistent over there, and once in a while I’ll be sorely disappointed by a watered down sauce after expecting the usual greatness. Point is, I need my own peanut sauce recipe so I can stop relying on others to fuel my addiction. Definitely going to make this. It sounds like it’d be great on soba noodles or brown rice, too! …not that I have anything against the almighty kale. ๐
These are some of my favorite foods all combined into a beautiful, healthful salad. It’s almost like an African peanut soup in salad form – I love it! Also, I agree with your musings on going with the flow when it comes to cooking; I like the challenge of working with what I have on hand rather than going to the store to pick up just a certain ingredient.
This looks so good! I can’t wait to try the peanut dressing… YUM!