This kale sweet potato lentil salad is loaded with flavor and packed with 25 grams of plant-based protein. It can be meal prepped two ways: in a mason jar or a meal prep container. Vegetarian + gluten-free.
This kale sweet potato lentil mason jar salad might very well be my favorite mason jar salad! Not only is this salad packed with all of my favorite ingredients, but it also has 25 grams of plant-based protein thanks to the quinoa and lentils. The flavor combination is so delicious and it’ll keep you full and satisfied. I could seriously eat this salad every day!
Why You’ll Love This Salad
Healthy and hearty all in one. This salad has everything you need to help you feel energized and full throughout the day!
There are simple shortcuts you can take to make this salad come together even faster!
It’s packed with 25 grams of plant-based protein!
Ingredients Needed
lentils – the lentils will be a big source of protein for this salad! I prefer brown lentils as they are easy to find at a good price, but you could use any type of lentil you prefer: french lentils, red, green, yellow or black will all work.
quinoa – this will be your other source of plant-based protein and it adds a nice fluffy & chewy texture to the salad. You can buy pre-cooked quinoa or follow my guide on how to cook quinoa.
brussels sprouts – look for brussels sprouts that have bright green heads that are firm and feel heavy for their size with leaves that are tightly packed. Avoid yellow leaves or black spots and chop these off if needed.
sweet potatoes – sweet potatoes are a powerhouse vegetable! They’re packed with fiber, vitamins and minerals. They’re also high in antioxidants which help protect your body against free radical damage. When shopping for sweet potatoes, look for firm, unwrinkled skins. I usually buy Beauregard, Jewel or Garnet sweet potatoes just because those varieties are typically available at my local grocery stores.
baby kale – I chose to go with baby kale for this salad because it’s easier to work than regular kale, but feel free to use your favorite leafy green.
feta cheese – adds a slightly salty, tangy and rich flavor to this salad! If you’re not a fan of feta cheese you can always swap in goat cheese or your favorite cheese. Skip or use vegan cheese if you need this salad to be dairy-free.
fresh thyme – I love adding fresh herbs to my salads and fresh thyme pairs perfectly with all the other ingredients, but feel free to swap it out for your favorite herb of choice.
red wine vinaigrette – a super simple dressing made with red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, maple syrup, olive oil, salt and pepper.
How to Make
Roast veggies: Begin with preheating the oven to 375ºF. Spread chopped sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on a baking pan with 2 teaspoons oil, sea salt and pepper. Toss and then roast for about 20 minutes or until tender.
Cook lentils: If your lentils aren’t pre-cooked, cook your lentils and quinoa according to the package directions.
Make dressing: Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a small bowl or glass jar.
Prep salads: Line up 4 32-ounce wide-mouth mason jars. Add 3 Tablespoons of dressing into a large, wide-mouth mason jar, then start layering ingredients in this order: lentils, quinoa, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, feta, thyme and kale. Place lid on jars and keep in fridge until ready to serve. When ready to enjoy, shake jar and pour into a serving bowl
Customize Your Salad
Switch up the greens– if you’re not a fan of kale, feel free to use your favorite leafy green. Spring mix, spinach, or arugula are other great options for this recipe.
Make this dairy-free and vegan – if you need this salad to be dairy-free or vegan, just skip the feta or use vegan cheese.
Swap the grain – swap the quinoa for rice, farro or your favorite grain.
Switch up the veggies – if you don’t have sweet potatoes or brussels sprouts on hand or just aren’t a fan there are plenty of other amazing options to choose from. My second choice for this salad would be roasted butternut squash and roasted broccoli.
Add your favorite mix-ins – have a favorite salad mix-in that you want to add? Go for it! Some ideas: red onion, dried cranberries, pepitas or chopped nuts.
Use a different herb – fresh thyme is amazing, but not the only herb for this salad! Fresh parsley, cilantro, basil or chives would all add great flavor.
Buy pre-cooked lentils. For a shortcut you can buy pre-cooked lentils. The Trader Joe’s steamed lentils are hands down my favorite! They’re steamed, ready to go and so dang delicious.
Use pre-cut veggies. For another time saver grab pre-cut brussels and sweet potatoes at the grocery store. Then all you have to do is toss the veggies in oil and seasonings and roast. No chopping necessary!
Buy pre-cooked quinoa. You can even buy pre-cooked quinoa at the grocery store too! That would make this salad SO freaking easy to toss together. No cooking necessary.
Cook your quinoa in broth. For added flavor I love cooking my grains in vegetable or bone broth!
Use wide-mouth mason jars. It’s much easier to get the ingredients in and out of the jars with a wide mouth. I like the wide-mouth quart Ball jars for meal-sized salads, but the wide-mouth pint Ball jars work for smaller side salads.
The dressing goes at the bottom. Make sure you add your dressing to the bottom of the jar first. The ingredients you add next will be touching/soaking in the dressing so they should be hearty veggies that will do well marinating.
Leave room at the top. You want to make sure to leave a little room at the top of the jar so you can shake it up right before serving. It helps make sure all parts of the salad have some dressing.
Store in the fridge upright. If they’re stored on their side or tipped over, the dressing will leak up to the top and may cause your greens to get soggy.
Serving and Storing
To make it in advance: You can keep this kale sweet potato salad in the fridge until you’re ready to enjoy it. Most salads will keep for about 4-5 days.
How to serve: The fun part comes when you’re ready to eat because you get to shake the jar to distribute the dressing. I don’t know why, but this is my favorite part! Once shaken, pour the salad into a big plate or large bowl and enjoy.
This kale sweet potato lentil salad is loaded with flavor and packed with 25 grams of plant-based protein. It can be meal prepped two ways: in a mason jar or a meal prep container. Vegetarian + gluten-free.
Spread chopped sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts on a baking sheet with 2 teaspoons oil, sea salt and pepper. Toss and then roast for about 20 minutes or until tender.
If they aren’t pre-cooked, cook your lentils and quinoa according to package directions.
Make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients in a small bowl or glass jar.
For the mason jars: Line up 4 32 ounce wide-mouth mason jars. Add 3 Tablespoons of dressing into a large, wide-mouth mason jar, then start layering ingredients in this order: lentils, quinoa, brussels sprouts, sweet potatoes, feta, thyme and kale.
Place lid on jars and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.
When ready to enjoy, shake jar and pour into a serving bowl
Nutrition
Serving: 1salad with dressingCalories: 543kcalCarbohydrates: 52gProtein: 27gFat: 26gFiber: 17gSugar: 6g
Delicious! I managed to forget to buy salad greens so rather than go back to the store I made this as a grain bowl instead of a salad. This will be going in my regular lunch rotation.
Can’t wait to try this salad, bought all of the ingredients and putting it together tonight!! Do you happen to know how long the lentils from Trader Joe’s last once opened? Trying to meal plan with a couple of your salads (Thank you for so many options!!), and just want to know how fast to eat these up.
Hi Andee! I’m not sure if it it says anything on the package but I would try to use the cooked lentils in 2-5 days after opening if you keep them in a sealed storage container in the fridge. You’ll know if they’ve gone bad because they’ll likely be slimey and smell awful.
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We had small mason jars so I put everything in besides the greens. This was so delicious and healthy. 5/5
Yay! So glad you enjoyed this salad, Priya. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it!
Can’t wait to make this. I think I’ll make a tahini dressing to go with it. Thanks for the recipe!
Definitely come back and let me know what you think of the salad if you make it!
Can you use smaller mason jars for this recipe?
Hey Anne – Yes, you can! If you follow this full recipe it’d probably make more like 8 or so smaller salad jars.
Delicious! I managed to forget to buy salad greens so rather than go back to the store I made this as a grain bowl instead of a salad. This will be going in my regular lunch rotation.
Oh!! I bet it was just as tasty as a grain bowl. So glad you enjoyed it, Melissa.
Can’t wait to try this salad, bought all of the ingredients and putting it together tonight!! Do you happen to know how long the lentils from Trader Joe’s last once opened? Trying to meal plan with a couple of your salads (Thank you for so many options!!), and just want to know how fast to eat these up.
Hi Andee! I’m not sure if it it says anything on the package but I would try to use the cooked lentils in 2-5 days after opening if you keep them in a sealed storage container in the fridge. You’ll know if they’ve gone bad because they’ll likely be slimey and smell awful.