Kale Sweet Potato Salad

A colorful, autumnal vegetable dish! This Kale Sweet Potato Salad is a perfect side, or make it into a light entree with some added goat cheese and chopped nuts.

The Nutrition Rundown: Kale packed with vitamin K and calcium is paired with vitamin A-rich orange sweet potatoes for a bone-building, immunity boost...just when you need it most to stay strong and fight germs this winter!

Kale Sweet Potato Salad

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed

2 Tbs olive oil, divided

2 bunches kale, stems removed, chopped into thin strips

¼ medium red onion, small diced

2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

3 Tbs red wine vinegar

2 tsp honey

Salt and pepper

 

Directions

1.  Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add potato and cook until sides brown and tender, about 8 minutes. Remove from heat. Add kale and toss together to slightly wilt leaves.
2. In large bowl, whisk onion, red pepper, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper together. Drizzle in remaining 1 Tbs olive oil while continuing to whisk.
3.  Add warm kale and potatoes to dressing and toss together. Refrigerate 15-20 minutes and serve chilled or at room temperature. 

Fresh Pick of the Week: Persimmons

Persimmons are a seasonally fall and winter fruit, in-season October through February, but they have the delightfully sweet taste of many tropical and summer produce. The fuyu variety that I found at the Melrose Place Farmer's Market are great sliced up and eaten as is (they're so sweet, they taste like dessert!). They'd also make great additions to a seasonal fall smoothie or fresh salsa. They are rich in vitamin A like so many seasonal fall produce, and they get their sweetness from their high sugar content (those I grabbed are a perfect single fruit serving portion). When picking persimmons up in weeks to come, select based on the same characteristics you'd look for in a tomato (like a little give when squeezed).