Recipe

May 26, 2026

Kale, Sweet Potato, Date & Walnut Chopped Salad

Recipe: Clodagh McKenna

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“If you have time, dress the salad 10 minutes before you serve it, as the kale leaves will ‘cook’ a little in the dressing and become softer, which is nicer!” — Clodagh McKenna

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2 sweet potatoes
  • 8½ cups kale, coarse stems removed, leaves chopped, washed
  • 1½ cups dates, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup walnuts, chopped (or almonds or hazelnuts, if you prefer)

Dressing

  • ½ cup Parmesan, finely grated
  • ½ cup well-stirred tahini
  • 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • Juice 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 7 tbsp water
  • Sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Yield: Serves 4

Prepare Vegetables

  1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Place sweet potatoes in hot oven for 30 minutes, or until cooked through. (A knife should pierce them with no resistance.)
  2. Allow to cool, then peel and chop into 1″ pieces and place in mixing bowl. Add kale, dates and nuts.

Make Dressing and Assemble Salad

  1. In separate bowl, add all dressing ingredients except water, salt and pepper, and whisk together. While whisking, drizzle in water slowly so it emulsifies.
  2. Pour dressing into mixing bowl with salad ingredients. Season with salt and pepper, toss well and serve.
Source:

Recipes adapted from Clodagh’s Happy Cooking: 100 Easy, Speedy, Healthy Recipes for Good Mood Food by Clodagh McKenna. Photography by David Loftus. ©2026 by Octopus Publishing Group. Excerpted with permission from Kyle Books. All rights reserved

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