Roasted Chicken, Sprout, Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

My Perfect Cold Weather Salad

This roasted chicken, sprouts, sweet potato and kale salad is my dream cold weather salad. It’s filled with hearty fall and winter vegetables, seasonal pomegranate arils, salty parmesan, and tangy goat cheese. All with a tangy, maple dressing to top it off. It’s a filling salad perfect for lunch or dinner and is great leftovers. Truly, can’t get much better for an easy, middle of the week meal.

The Supplies

Ingredients

To make this roasted chicken, sprouts, sweet potato and kale salad recipe, you’ll need the following ingredients:

• Chili powder
• Onion powder
• Garlic powder
• Smoked paprika
• Cayenne pepper
• Kosher Salt 
• Black pepper
• Olive oil
• Sweet potato, cubed
• Chicken breast
• Shredded brussels sprouts
• Kale
• Shredded parmesan cheese
• Goat cheese
• Pomegranate arils
• Pumpkin seeds
• Lemon juice and zest
• Maple syrup
• Apple cider vinegar

For the exact ingredient amounts, check out the recipe card at the bottom of this page.

Equipment

In order to make this Roasted chicken, sprouts, sweet potato and kale salad, you’ll need the following pieces of equipment:

• Large baking sheet
• Small baking sheet
• Cutting board and knife
• Mixing bowls
• Measuring spoons
• Oven mitts
• Liquid measuring cup
• Tongs
• Salad bowl
• Salad spoons

Frequent Recipe Questions

Can I make this recipe in advance?

• A: Yes! This salad is hearty enough it holds up even after adding the dressing. I think it tastes great when the chicken and veg are warm out of the oven, but it’s great cold too. If you want the vegetables to be warm, store them separately and reheat before eating.

Are there substitutions I can do to make this recipe vegetarian?

• Yes! You can follow the recipe exactly, but remove the chicken to make this recipe vegetarian.

Salad Recipe Tips

When you make this roasted chicken, sprouts, sweet potato and kale salad, here are a few tips to make sure it turns out delicious:

• I find the easiest way to coat kale salads in dressing is to use your hands! Pour the dressing over the chopped kale and massage it into the leaves with your hands. Not only will it coat the leaves in the dressing, massaging the leaves will soften them. It makes the kale softer to eat and even more delicious!
• There’s no shame in buying the brussels sprouts pre-shredded. The vegetable is hardy enough that there’s little, to no, change in their integrity. Plus it will save you lots of time, and potentially cut to the finger.

The Recipe Details

Get the Recipe Started

To get this recipe started, turn the oven on to 425°F and get out a couple baking sheets. Then, stir up the chili spice mix. Stir the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl. Set it aside to get the vegetables ready.

Roast the Chicken, Sprouts, and Sweet P’s

To start the vegetables, toss the sweet potatoes with the olive oil and about half of the chili spice mix in a large mixing bowl. Transfer the seasoned sweet potatoes to a large baking sheet and roast them for a few minutes to give them a head start.

Then in the same mixing bowl used to season the sweet potatoes, add the cubed chicken. Season the chicken with more olive oil and the rest of the chili spice mix. Then, add the chicken to the same pan as the sweet potatoes. On a second pan, add the shredded brussels sprouts and season them with olive oil, salt, and pepper. 

Roast the veggies and chicken until they’re browned and baked through. About fifteen minutes or so. Take the baking sheets out of the oven and begin assembling the salad.

Assemble the Salad

Whisk the dressing together in a small bowl, and then begin assembling the salad. Massage the chopped kale in a large mixing bowl with about half of the dressing. Then toss in the parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds, crumbled goat cheese and the roasted brussels sprouts. Stir everything together to coat the ingredients in the dressing.

Add in the sweet potatoes and chicken, plus the pomegranate arils. Drizzle the remaining maple dressing over the salad, to taste, and enjoy!

If you make this roasted chicken, sprouts, sweet potato and kale salad, be sure to leave a comment or give this recipe a rating – I can’t wait to hear how it goes. As always, tag me on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook in your photos. It makes me feel like we’re getting to cook together!

This post may contain affiliate links, please see the privacy policy for details.

Print Recipe

0 Add to Favorites

Roasted Chicken, Sprout, Sweet Potato and Kale Salad

Author: Laura Wilkins Cooking Method: Roasted Cuisine: American Courses: Main Course, Salads

Difficulty: Intermediate Prep Time 20 mins Cook Time 20 mins Total Time 40 mins

Cooking Temp: 425  F Servings: 4

Best Season: Fall, Winter

Dietary:

G Gluten Free

Description

This roasted chicken, sprout, and sweet potato kale salad is made with warm spices and finished with parmesan, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds, and pomegranate arils.

Ingredients

Scale

1/2x 1x 2x 3x

Chili Spice Mix

• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• ³⁄₄ teaspoon kosher salt
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon black pepper

Roasted Vegetable Salad

• 1 ¹⁄₂ tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 large sweet potato, cubed
• 1 pound chicken breast, cubed
• 10 ounces shredded brussels sprouts
• 6 cups kale, chopped
• ¹⁄₂ cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 5 ounces goat cheese
• ¹⁄₂ cup pomegranate arils
• ¹⁄₄ cup roasted pumpkin seeds

Maple Dressing

• ¹⁄₄ cup olive oil
• Juice and zest of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

Do Some Prep

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F and set out 2 baking sheets (1 large and 1 small).

2. In a small mixing bowl, make the chili spice mix. Add the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper from the spice mix. Stir until the spices are evenly distributed.

Roast the Vegetables

1. Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a large mixing bowl. Drizzle ½ tablespoon of olive oil over the sweet potatoes and then sprinkle about half of the chili spice mixture into the bowl. Toss to evenly coat the sweet potatoes in the oil and spices and transfer to the large baking sheet. Roast the sweet potatoes for 5-7 minutes.

2. In the same mixing bowl used to season the sweet potatoes, add the cubed chicken. Drizzle ½ tablespoon of olive oil over the chicken and the rest of the chili spice mixture. Toss to coat each piece in the oil and spices. Once the potatoes have finished their first bake, add the chicken to the same pan into a single layer. 

3. Add the shaved brussels sprouts to the small sheet pan. Drizzle the sprouts with ½ tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss to coat the sprouts in the oil. 

4. Place both baking sheets in the oven and roast the chicken and vegetables for 15.

Mix the Maple Dressing

1. While the chicken and vegetables are in the oven, add the olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and salt into a small mixing bowl or large liquid measuring cup. Stir to combine the ingredients together.

Assemble the Roasted Veg Salad

1. Add the chopped kale to a large mixing bowl or salad bowl. Pour about ½ of the maple dressing over the kale. Use your hands or a pair of tongs to toss the kale in the dressing, massaging it in to soften the kale slightly. Sprinkle in the parmesan cheese, pumpkin seeds, crumbled goat cheese and the roasted brussels sprouts. Toss everything together to coat the ingredients in the dressing.

2. Stir in the sweet potatoes and chicken, or serve the salad with the chicken and sweet potatoes arranged on top. Drizzle the remaining maple dressing over the salad, to taste, and garnish with the pomegranate arils. Enjoy!