Roasted Sweet Potato And Lentil Kale Salad
One of my favorite ways to nourish my body in a holistic way to feel my best is salads. Salads are such a great way to get in lots of nutrient dense fruits and vegetables. Plus, they are a great way to clean out the fridge! Unfortunately, they can easily be boring which is why most people don’t love them. Salads, like all meals, should be enjoyable. You don’t have to eat boring and tasteless raw salads every day for lunch to improve your health. One way I love to make salads more enjoyable while still improving my health is by adding spiced roasted veggies and proteins.
Salads need flavor to be enjoyable. Some people believe that the dressing is the key to a flavorful salad, but I think well-seasoned roasted proteins and vegetables can have just as much of an impact.
This is one of my favorite salads to make. It’s easy to make, meal prep friendly and flavorful!
What you need (serves 2):
1 medium sweet potato diced
1 15 oz can lentils drained
a few generous pinches of salt
2 tsp of your favorite spice mix (I used this one here. If you don’t have a spice blend at home just combine 1 tsp of paprika and 1 tsp of garlic powder in a bowl. It’s my go-to!)
2 tbsp cooking oil
3 cups chopped kale or spinach
1 handful of fresh minced cilantro (optional)
2 tbsp hempseed
1/2 an avocado diced (if eating your salad the next day just wait to add the avocado upon eating)
6 tbsp tahini
3 tbsp of lemon juice
3 tbsp of water (add more as needed to thin)
Directions: preheat your oven to 420. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Add the sweet potatoes to one side of the baking sheet and the lentils to the other. Drizzle the oil, a few pinches of salt (about 1 1/4 tsp) and the spice mix over the lentils and sweet potato. Toss until everything is well coated. Spread everything out on the baking sheet to allow everything to get crispy (use two baking sheets if needed). Place in the oven for 25-30 minutes. In a jar combine the tahini, a pinch of salt and lemon juice. Whisk until a thick paste is formed. If it is still thin and runny gradually add in more tahini. Then gradually add in water until it is thin like a creamy dressing (it shouldn’t be watery!). Next, remove the roasted lentils and sweet potatoes from the oven. Assemble your bowl with the kale, lentils, sweet potatoes, avocado, herbs and hempseed. Drizzle the tahini sauce over the top. Toss and enjoy!