This black rice salad with sweet potato and kale is a bold, satisfying mix of roasted sweet potatoes, earthy black rice, and fresh kale, all tossed in a zesty white balsamic vinaigrette. Simple yet flavorful, it’s perfect for meal prep or a hearty lunch!
Our sweet potato salad is a far cry from your grandma’s classic potato salad. Roasting the garnet sweet potatoes brings out their natural nutty sweetness. And when we add the flavors of cinnamon and cumin, there’s a punch of flavor that brings it over the top.
Here is Why This Recipe Works
Flavor explosion: Roasted sweet potatoes and earthy black rice pack in bold flavors, topped off with a bright balsamic vinaigrette.
Meal-prep friendly: Cook the rice and potatoes ahead, and you’re already halfway to salad success.
Customizable: This salad plays well with extras. Add feta, bacon, grilled chicken, or your favorite mix-ins.
Texture heaven: The combo of tender sweet potatoes, chewy black rice, and crisp kale makes this salad seriously satisfying.
The Ingredients
Produce: Sweet potatoes, baby kale, green onions, fresh thyme, garlic
Pantry: Olive oil, black rice, honey, Salt, cinnamon, cumin, pepper
Condiments: White balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard
For more unique salad recipes, try our Japanese potato salad.
Variations
Mediterranean Black Rice Salad: Add ½ cup crumbled feta, ¼ cup Kalamata olives, and ¼ cup sun-dried tomatoes.
Southwest Black Rice Bowl: Toss in ½ cup black beans, ½ cup corn kernels, and top with a sprinkle of queso fresco and chopped cilantro.
Fall Harvest Black Rice Salad: Mix in ¼ cup dried cranberries, ½ cup diced apples, and ¼ cup toasted pecans.
For more twists on this black rice bowl, try our Black rice mango salad or our Black rice salad with tomatoes
Tips for Success
- Roast the sweet potatoes and cook the rice a day before to save time. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
- If you need to cool the rice and potatoes fast, spread them on separate baking sheets and pop them in the freezer for about 10 minutes.
- For the best texture, chop the baby kale into bite-sized pieces. This makes it easier to toss and eat.
- For an easy way to cook the black rice, try our Instant Pot black rice recipe.
Storage
Refrigerate: Place any leftover salad in an airtight container and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: While freezing isn’t ideal for kale salads, you can freeze the cooked black rice and roasted sweet potatoes separately. Place each in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When ready to use, thaw them in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating: If you prefer the salad warm, reheat the sweet potatoes and black rice in the microwave until just warmed through. Then, toss with fresh kale and dressing before serving.
This black rice and sweet potato salad is ready to shine as a side, main dish, or meal-prep favorite. Simple to make and loaded with flavor, this salad is one you’ll keep coming back to!
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Black Rice and Sweet Potato Salad
Ingredients
For the Sweet Potatoes:
- 1 pound sweet potatoes peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
- Black pepper freshly ground
For the Black Rice:
- 1 cup uncooked black rice
- 1-¼ cups cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 ounces baby kale chopped
- 3 green onions chopped— white and green
For the White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup white balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F
- Add the cubed sweet potatoes to a baking sheet and toss with the olive oil. In a small dish, combine the salt, cinnamon, cumin and pepper together and sprinkle over the sweet potatoes. Transfer to the oven and roast for 15 minutes. When the potatoes are fork-tender, transfer from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting: Rinse the rice under cold water and add to a medium size saucepan with the cold water and salt. Bring to a boil over medium high heat and cook for 5 minutes. Reduce the heat to low, add a tight fitting lid and cook for 30 minutes. The rice should be al dente and not soft. If there is still a little unabsorbed water, drain it off. Transfer the rice to a bowl and cool to room temperature.
For the White Balsamic Vinaigrette:
- Combine all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid, shake until well combined.
Assembling the Salad:
- In a large salad bowl, combine the cooled black rice, sweet potatoes, chopped kale and the green onions. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and gently toss together.
Notes
- We used the Garnet sweet potatoes which are also called yams. The yellow sweet potatoes can be substituted.
- Roasting the sweet potatoes will bring out their natural sweetness; do not over-cook, they should be tender but not soft-mushy.
- The sweet potatoes and the rice can be cooked in advance and cooled in the refrigerator.
- For a quick cool-off, spread the rice and sweet potatoes on separate parchment lined baking sheets and stick into the freezer for 10 minutes.
- Ideas for add-ins: Grilled chicken breast, sautéed shrimp, feta cheese, blue cheese chunks, crisp bacon pieces, dried raisins or cranberries
