The holidays have been over for a few weeks but I’m still reeling from all of the travel and overindulging. My fiancé (yes, I got engaged!) and I traveled home to Illinois for 10 days of celebrating. While it was fun, being in the midwest always involves lots of pizza and wine. Since settling back into normal life I’ve been way more intentional about what I put into my body. This doesn’t mean eliminating my favorite treats, but the ratio of salad to pizza is more in line with what makes me feel my best. I’ve also gotten better about meal prepping so that I always have a healthy lunch and dinner waiting for me in the fridge or freezer. This Couscous Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato, and Pomegranate is part of my mission to eat intentionally in 2020.
Like pretty much everyone, I don’t have time to make a healthy lunch every day. That means being prepared with something I can pull out of the fridge and heat up - or not! - in a few minutes. You’ve probably heard me talk about how much I love pasta salad for this very reason. This Couscous Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato, and Pomegranate reminds me of a lightened up version of pasta salad.
If you want to make it gluten-free, you can certainly do so by swapping in quinoa, millet, sorghum, or another gluten-free grain for the couscous. Easy!
This salad was designed to hold up in the fridge for days. In fact, it gets even better as the couscous and veggies marinate in the zippy lime dressing. You’ll want to use a sturdy leafy green to ensure your salad doesn’t turn to mush. I would avoid spinach, arugula, and romaine. Kale is a great option! I simply adore the combo of kale and roasted sweet potato.
Toss everything together and divide it between four containers for an easy grab-and-go lunch that tastes great warm or cold. This Couscous Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate also makes a great side if you’re feeding a larger group for dinner. I imagine pairing it with tomato basil soup would be so tasty and comforting!
Couscous Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato and Pomegranate
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Lunch
- Method: Oven and Stovetop
- Cuisine: Vegan
Description
This Couscous Salad with Kale, Sweet Potato Pomegranate makes a healthy and satisfying pack-and-go lunch or a delicious side to your favorite soup.
Ingredients
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, diced
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- Few twists of black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- 1½ cups pearled couscous
- 2 cups water
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2½ cups sturdy greens, chopped (I used Tuscan kale)
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup fire roasted corn
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seed kernels
- Hemp seeds, for garnish (optional)
For the dressing: - 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 3 tablespoons oil
- 1 teaspoon agave
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- Pinch of black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F degrees. Spill the diced sweet potato onto a large baking sheet and toss with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, salt, pepper, and paprika. Roast for 25 to 30 minutes, shaking the pan halfway through, until the sweet potato is fork tender and slightly browned.
- Meanwhile, combine the couscous and water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Continue to boil for 8 to 10 minutes, until the water has been absorbed and the couscous is fluffy. Drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and stir to prevent the couscous from sticking together. Transfer the couscous to a large bowl and toss with the chopped kale.
- To make the dressing, whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Once the sweet potato is done roasting, add it to the bowl with the couscous and kale. Drizzle with half the dressing and toss to coat. Adjust salt and lime juice to taste.
- If serving family style, transfer the salad to a large platter. Top with pomegranate, roasted corn, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds. Drizzle the remaining dressing over the salad just before serving.
- If packing away for lunches, add the pomegranate, roasted corn, sunflower seeds, and hemp seeds to the bowl and toss to combine. Divide between four containers and refrigerate. Drizzle with more dressing just before eating.
Beautiful, colorful and nutritious recipe! I also added avocado and used toasted almonds instead of the seeds. Added radish too. Loved the dressing and will definitely be using again!
Gorgeous and delicious combination of textures, flavors. I ate this for days and was sad when I finished the last bite. The only thing I didn't include was the optional hemp seeds. Thank you for this tasty, healthful, and filling recipe. I'm making it again right now!