Kale and Sweet Potato Cobb Salad

5 from 1 vote

Kale and Sweet Potato Cobb Salad

You’re going to love the layers of flavor and texture in this cooler weather twist on a classic Cobb Salad. Smoky sweet potato, crispy bacon, fresh kale, pickled red onions, and avocados combine to make this a show-stopping salad that is hearty enough to serve as a meal.

Prep Time20

Cook Time25

Total Time45

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Keyword: easy salad, easy salad recipe, Entree Salad, kale salad, lunch, meal prep, sweet potato recipe

Servings:

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef

Cost: $8.00

Equipment

Half Sheet Pans
Sharp Knife
Cutting Board
Mixing Bowl
Shallow Bowls or Large Platter

Ingredients

1 small red onion
1 pound sweet potatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
8 strips uncooked bacon
10 ounces curly-leaf kale (about one bunch of 6 to 8 large kale leaves)
Balsamic Vinaigrette, for serving
1 large avocado
2 cups shredded chicken at room temperature (like from a rotisserie chicken)
3 ounces blue cheese
4 large boiled eggs (see note)

Instructions

In the oven, arrange a rack in the lower position and another in the upper position and preheat it to 400°F. Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.
Thinly slice the red onion. Quickly pickle the onions (see note below) or leave the onion raw to roast with the sweet potato. If the sweet potatoes are long and narrow, slice them into ½-inch rounds. If they are thick, slice them into ½ inch cubes. Toss the sweet potatoes and red onions (if using raw) with the olive oil and salt. Spread out on one of the prepared baking sheets and roast on the lower rack of the oven, without turning, until the sweet potatoes are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Line the strips of bacon up on the other baking sheet and bake on the upper rack of the oven, turning halfway through cooking, until crisp, 18 to 22 minutes. When the bacon is done, let it cool on a paper towel-lined plate and then crumble.
While everything is roasting, remove and discard the stems from the kale. Finely shred the leaves. Add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinaigrette to the kale and, with clean hands, gently massage it into the kale leaves. (This will tenderize the leaves and gently flavor them.) Slice the avocado.
Spread the kale out on a large platter or on four shallow bowls. Top the kale with sweet potatoes, onions, crumbled bacon, chicken, avocado slices, and crumbled blue cheese. Slice the eggs in half and serve them on top. Drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette until dressed to your liking. Enjoy!

Notes

Boiled Eggs – If you’re serving this right away, you can use soft-boiled eggs. If prepping ahead, serve the eggs hard-boiled. To boil the eggs, fill a medium saucepan halfway with water and heat it over high heat. As soon as it begins to boil, reduce the heat so that it is simmering gently with some small bubbles always rising up from the bottom of the pot. Use a slotted spoon to gently tip the eggs into the simmering water. Set a timer. For soft-boiled eggs, set the timer for 8 minutes. For hard-boiled eggs, set the timer for 12 minutes. Immediately transfer the eggs to ice water and then peel.

Pickled Red Onions – If you want to quickly pickle the onions, use this recipe.

Nutrition