Another delicious way to enjoy kale
This is actually the first “meal” that I made for Nicholas while in Naturopathic College. He was working a long day at the school’s clinic, and I had the day off, so I invited him to meet me at a park during his lunch break where I brought along a little picnic with this salad as the highlight. We’ve made this salad many times since then, and we’ve been asked a few times at potlucks & dinners to share this recipe. It is healthy, hearty & is a great year-round side dish, but it is especially delicious in the fall when kale & yams are at their sweetest.
This vegetarian salad is so easy to make, and can be done relatively quickly if you use canned beans (we suggest Eden Organics as they use BPA free cans). However, if using dried beans, you’ll need to plan a bit ahead of time to soak the beans for 8-12 hours, boiling them for about 45 mins, and letting cool slightly before using the beans in the dish.
- 1-2 Tbsp olive oil, plus a bit more if needed
- 1 large yam, cut into ½ inch cubes
- 2 cups adzuki beans, soaked, cooked & drained (or 1 can works too)
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2-4 Tbsp ground cumin (fresh ground is best)
- 6-7 stalks black (lacinato) kale, sliced thin
- salt & pepper, to taste
- juice of ½ of lime
- Preheat oven to 400.
- Scrub & dry the yam, and remove any obvious blemishes from the yam, but otherwise you can leave the skin on.
- Cut yam into ½ inch cubes and place them into a bowl and toss with olive oil to coat. Spread yam cubes onto a baking sheet lined with a silicone baking mat or parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 mins or until soft & slightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes.
- In a large bowl, toss together cooked yam cubes with the rest of the ingredients. Mix together well. Add more olive oil, if needed.
- Add salt & pepper to taste, along with a splash of fresh lime.
- Enjoy!