Roasted Fig Sweet Potato Kale Salad~

I love this so much! You get a bit of yumminess in every bite. The creaminess of the goat cheese, the smoky maple taste of the walnuts, the tang of the dried cranberries, the beautiful figs with the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. I hope you will too.

Enjoy~

Jenn

---

Ingredients:  

·     1 large sweet potato chopped (peel on)

·     5 large figs halved

·     1 bunch of kale cleaned and chopped

·     1/3 c dried cranberries 

·     ½ c of walnuts chopped

·     ½ c pumpkin seeds

·     4 oz goat cheese

·     fresh lemon juice, EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)

Maple-Toasted Walnuts:

·     EVOO

·     1/3 c raw walnuts chopped

·     2 tblsp pumpkin seeds

·     2 tsp pure maple syrup

·     1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

·     1 pinch sea salt 

Maple-Cinnamon Apple Cider Vinaigrette

·     3 tblsp EVOO

·     2 tblsp apple cider vinegar

·     1 tblsp pure maple syrup

·     1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

·     1/4 tsp sea salt to taste

 Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Toss the sweet potatoes in a bowl with EVOO and season with S&P. Gently add the figs and give a little toss just to coat them a bit.  Spread the sweet potatoes and figs on a large baking sheet. Roast figs for 10-12 minutes, just until they caramelized.  Remove figs but continue to cook the sweet potatoes for 30 to 35 minutes, until they are soft but not mushy.

Prepare the Cider Vinaigrette:

Add all the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a small mason jar with a lid.  Shake vigorously until well-combined. Set aside until ready to use.

Toast the Walnuts & Pumpkin Seeds:

Heat the EVOO skillet over medium-high heat. Add the walnuts and pumpkin seeds and toast on all sides, tossing while toasting. Once toasted add maple syrup, sea salt and cinnamon, stirring frequently, until walnuts and pumpkin seeds have absorbed most of the liquid. They will begin to be a little sticky remove from heat and let cool.

Prepare the Salad:

Add the chopped kale to a large serving bowl and drizzle with EVOO and lemon juice. Use your hands to massage the kale leaves (this helps soften the kale).

When ready to serve salad, toss with your vinaigrette. Add your dried cranberries, maple-toasted walnuts and pumpkin seeds give a quick toss. Then finish with salad with the roasted sweet potatoes, figs and goat cheese chunks.

---

***Notes***

This is best if eaten the same day. If stored in the refrigerator overnight it gets a little to soggy for my likeness.

Pumpkin seeds may pop while toasting so be careful.