Salads | Fancy Kale Salad With Citrus Vinaigrette

1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a sheet pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the cubed sweet potatoes on the sheet and drizzle with ½ tablespoon olive oil. Add sea salt and pepper to taste. Mix well, evenly spreading the potatoes across the sheet pan. Roast for 30 minutes, or until tender and slightly browned, stirring every 10 minutes.

2. Spread out the pecans on a small, ungreased sheet pan. When the potatoes have 10 minutes remaining, roast the pecans on a different rack for 5-10 minutes, shaking and stirring every 3-4 minutes to prevent burning. Remove from oven once lightly browned.

3. Rinse the kale with water and dry it well with paper towels or in a salad spinner. Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add lemon juice and ½ teaspoon olive oil. Massage the leaves with your hands until they start to shrink.

4. Add the Brussels sprouts to the kale and toss with tongs or your hands.

5. For the dressing, combine the olive oil, orange juice, zest, Dijon mustard, tahini, apple cider vinegar, honey, sea salt and pepper in a blender, food processer or mixing bowl with a whisk. Blend until smooth.

6. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of dressing onto the greens and toss. Add half of the sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese, then lightly toss once again. Top with the remainder of the sweet potatoes, pomegranate seeds and goat cheese. Serve with the salad dressing on the side.

Additional Dietitian Tips:
• Feel free to omit the goat cheese or replace it with sliced Parmesan or feta cheese.
• Roasted carrots or beets would be a nice addition.
• Store the leftover salad dressing in the fridge for up to 5 days.