Alright, friends. I have a confession to make. I am obsesed with combining sweet potato and chipotles! The sweet with the heat, I just can’t get enough. In spring, I love to eat salads so I have made this sweet potato medallion kale salad with chipotle dressing.
The sweet potato medallions make an appealing presentation, but they are not practical to eat. Think about being served a side salad topped with whole onion rings, or a big tomato wedge.
You always start by cutting them up, and that is what you’ll do with this salad. If you don’t care much for presentation, simply dice and fry the potato, skipping the step to microwave.
I used whole milk Greek yogurt in this salad. Fat adds flavor to any dish, and there is not much in this salad without the yogurt. You can use what you prefer, but I think that fat free will leave you wanting something a little extra.
I used kale in this salad not only because I love it, but because it is so inexpensive! I considered getting spring mix, but where I live, spring mix costs three times as much as curly kale. Any green would make a great base, so you can easily choose something different based on availability and taste preference.
Tips and tricks for the Sweet Potato Medallion Kale Salad with Chipotle Dressing recipe:
- Massage the kale: Use your hands to squeeze and rub the kale which will start to break down some of its cellular structure, making it softer and more tender.
- Use a thin sweet potato to ensure the medallions are an appropriate size. Thick sweet potato will make huge medallions that will be more difficult on top of the salad.
- What to do with the extra 1/2 cup of black beans from the can: Freeze them for later, toss them onto another salad, on top of a bowl meal, into a burrito or wrap, or into soup or chili.
- What to do with the extra chipotles from the can: Freeze individually so you can pull one out at a time as needed. I like to use silicone baking cups
because they are reusable. Place one chipotle per cup (or 2 if they are small). Once frozen, transfer to a container.
because they are reusable. Place one chipotle per cup (or 2 if they are small). Once frozen, transfer to a container.- 1 small thin sweet potato
- 1 TBS avocado oil (or other high heat oil)
- 1 cup black beans
- 4-6 cups torn kale, or other green of choice
- Pepitas, for garnish
- 1 large chipotle pepper, minced
- ½ cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 TBS lime juice
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- ¼ tsp salt
- Cook the potato in a microwave until tender, 3-5 minutes depending on your microwave. Slice the sweet potato the short way to create circular medallions.
- Add avocado oil to a skillet and fry the medallions until crispy and golden on both sides, 2-3 minutes per side.
- Mean while whisk together all ingredients for the dressing.
- Massage kale with a splash of olive oil until tender. (this step is only for kale, if you use another green, skip it)
- In a salad bowl, layer massaged kale, black beans, and sweet potato medallions, and drizzle with chipotle dressing.
- Garnish with pepitas if desired.
Recipe inspired by Cooking Light.
