This Sorghum, Sweet Potato & White Bean Salad with Kale Pesto is healthy, filling and so flavorful! It’s a great way to try out sorghum if you’ve never had it before!
Have you ever cooked with sorghum before? If not, it’s a great gluten free grain that is fun to play around with! This Sorghum Sweet Potato and White Bean Salad with Kale Pesto is packed with tons of delicious ingredients and it will fill you up and leave you feeling happy.
I make a lot of loaded green salads, but grain based salads are a favorite of mine too! They’re usually packed with protein and provide a blank canvas for adding lots of other delicious ingredients.
What Is Sorghum?
Sorghum is a naturally gluten free grain that kind of reminds me of Israeli cous cous or wheat berries. It does take a little time to cook, about 50 minutes, but it is a great grain to add to your pantry. It can also be made into flour, syrup or even popped for a fun treat.
It is a really great source of fiber, with 8 grams per serving, and it’s also a great way to add some whole grains to your diet. Sorghum has a slightly chewy texture that is perfect for making hearty salads.
Sorghum Sweet Potato and White Bean Salad Ingredients & Substitutions
- Sorghum – This salad is based around sorghum but it can be hard to find sometimes. If you can’t find sorghum, you can substitute it for quinoa, wheat berries, cous cous or even rice.
- Sweet Potato – I love adding roasted sweet potato to my salads! It’s healthy and adds nice flavor and bulk. I roast my sweet potato with some olive oil, salt and pepper.
- White Beans – White beans add protein and are mild in taste. You could also use chickpeas or even black beans if you like.
- Kale Pesto – The kale pesto is made using kale, nutritional yeast, walnuts, olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon juice and garlic. To make it easier, you could also just use a prepared regular basil pesto sauce.
- Dried Cranberries – I love adding dried cranberries to salads because they add a nice sweet bite that goes well with all of these flavors.
- Walnuts – Toasted walnuts add some crunch, which I love! You could really use any kind of nut that you like.
- Goat Cheese – Goat cheese is creamy and tangy and one of my favorite kind of cheeses! Feta cheese would also go well with this sorghum salad.
How To Make This Sorghum Sweet Potato Salad Recipe
There are a few steps to making this delicious sorghum salad, but they’re all easy!
- Make the sorghum – Cook sorghum according to package directions. Once done, remove from heat and let sit until ready to use.
- Prepare the sweet potatoes – Pre-heat the oven to 425 degrees F. Dice sweet potatoes up and place them on a large sheet pan. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper and roast in the oven until fork tender, 25-30 minutes.
- Make the kale pesto – Add all kale pesto ingredients, except for the olive oil, to a food processor and turn on. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until a sauce is formed.
- Assemble the salad – To a large bowl, add the sorghum, sweet potatoes, dried cranberries and walnuts. Mix until well combined and then add in the pesto and mix again. Add the crumbled goat cheese and gently mix that in. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Recipe Frequently Asked Questions
- Can I use something else besides sorghum? Yes, if you can’t find sorghum you can substitute it with quinoa, rice, wheat berries, or even cous cous.
- Is this recipe gluten free? Yes! Sorghum is naturally gluten free.
- Is this recipe vegan? No, it does contain goat cheese but you can easily leave it out or use a vegan version or something similar. I have a vegan feta cheese recipe that would go well in here!
- How long does this sorghum salad last in the refrigerator? 4-5 days, just make sure to use your judgement to see if it still looks and smells good.
- How should I store this salad? I would store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Have a question I didn’t answer? Ask me in the comment section below and I’ll get back to you ASAP!
Looking For More Gluten Free Salad Recipes?
Quinoa Salad with Broccoli and Chickpeas
Mexican Kale Salad with Cumin Lime Dressing
Warm Lentil Kale and Potato Salad with Lemon Dijon Mustard
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Sorghum, Sweet Potato & White Bean Salad with Kale Pesto
- Total Time: 55 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This Sorghum, Sweet Potato and White Bean Salad is tossed in a flavorful kale pesto and it’s so delicious and filling!
Ingredients
- 1 cup dried Sorghum
- 1–15 ounce can of white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into cubes
- 1 handful dried cranberries
- 1 handful toasted walnuts
- 3–4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- lemon slices for squeezing over, if desired
Kale Pesto:
- 1 bunch of kale, stems removed
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 large clove garlic, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1 1/2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, or 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup + 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cook sorghum according to package directions. Let cool for a few minutes when finished cooking.
- Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees F. Place the peeled and cubed sweet potatoes on a large backing sheet and drizzle with a little bit of oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat and place into the oven and bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until fork tender.
- Make the kale pesto by adding all of the ingredients to a food processor and processing for about 30 seconds, or until everything is mixed together and a pesto spread is formed.
- Add the sorghum, white beans, sweet potatoes, walnuts, dried cranberries, goat cheese, and kale pesto to a large bowl and mix until everything is combined. Season with salt to taste.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 30 mins
- Category: Entree, Salad, Gluten Free
- Method: Stovetop, Oven
- Cuisine: American
Made this recipe yesterday with my son and it looks delicious. It was so fun for him to help make. How long will it last in the fridge? Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed it! I’d say 3-4 days max
I made this salad for Valentine’s Day, and I have to say I loved everything about it… except the sorghum. I’ve never eaten it before, so I had no idea what to expect as far as texture. I simmered it for an hour, and I really thought the texture would be soft, but chewy, and it was just unpleasantly… crunchy? It’s not really crunchy, but that’s the only word I can describe it. This morning, I decided to give the sorghum another go, and simmer a new batch, and this time, I had it go for about an hour and 45 minutes, and it was a little softer, but not by much. I guess maybe I just don’t care for sorghum. Instead, I substituted farro for the sorghum when we ate it again tonight, and I liked the salad much better tonight. This is a delicious, flavorful, healthy salad. I love the kale pesto.
I’m sorry you didn’t enjoy the sorghum, it is definitely a different type of grain that does have a bite to it. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe with farro though!
Hi Thank you for the recipe. Flavors a great but I find the finished salad dry. Maybe not enough pesto? Can you suggest something I can add to give it more moisture?
Hi Kelly, I would recommend adding either more pesto, olive oil or some fresh lemon juice š
I think it’s time I give sorghum another try and this recipe looks like the one to make!
You should totally give it another try! This salad is one of my favorites š
I’m finally going to make it this week! How much pesto does the recipe make? I won’t have time to make my own, so want to know how much to add to the salad!
Yah! I would use about 1/2 cup – 3/4 cup depending on how much pesto you like! I hope you enjoy! š
Thank you!
Oops you’ve done it again, Izzy! You’ve made me crave a recipe that I don’t yet have the ingredients for:-( But this recipe looks so tasty, it’s worth it to stare and risk unsatisfied tummy rumbles! I’ve never heard of Sorghum before, but you’ve piqued my interest! Regardless of whether I can get my hands on that grain or not, I look forward to trying out this kale pesto in the near future !
(Also, Cheeto’s cameo NEARLY stole the whole show! He’s so stinking cute!)
You must try Sorghum, Dulcie! This was the first time I tried it and I fell in love! It has a great texture and is really filling. It is also nice to add a new grain to the pantry to mix things up! I still can’t find it in any store, but it is super affordable on Amazon! You will also love the kale pesto! I have some big plans for more kale pesto in the near future that involves pizza and butternut squash š Haha, Cheeto says hi!!
I had no idea sorghum was a grain! I just know the syrup style. Love Bob’s Red Mill and I’m so glad you posted this to introduce me to something new. Love the color, too!
I had never heard of the grain either until a few months ago! It is so good and can be used in pretty much anyway you would use other grains like quinoa and rice. I think you will love it, Leah š
Ohhh, I’ve never tried Sorghum before! Thanks for the amazing recipe! š
I think you would love it, Nicole! It is really hearty and filling and has great texture! I’m experimenting with toasting and popping it right now š
I tried sorghum once, but I think I didn’t cook it enough. Time to try again! Love the sound of this salad. You had me at sweet potato and kale pesto!
Yes, try it again! I’m gonna try it popped next and I can’t wait! Aren’t sweet potatoes and kale the perfect match?!
I just love all your salads. They are all so tasty and flavourful! I have to try sorghum soon š
Thank you so much, Olivia! I think you would love it š
I have been wanting to try sorghum for the longest time but can never find it. I should just order it online like you did! This salad sounds completely delicious! Love that kale pesto!
You should definitely go to Amazon and buy it! I think it was only about 4 bucks and totally worth it! Thanks, Ashley! I’m all about the kale pesto these days too š
Isadora, this salad is BEAUTIFUL, and I want to just dive into that bowl! I love sorghum, and all of these ingredients are so wonderful! Pinning. š
Thank you so much, Marcie!! I’ve been eating it for lunch all week and am sad that I only have about two lunches worth left! I guess I’ll just have to make more š Thanks for pinning!
So… I definitely thought sorghum was just a sweet, honey-like goo that Southerners drizzle on their biscuits. I had no idea it was also a grain! It looks awesome– I LOVE israeli couscous so I’m sure I’d love it!
I didn’t know either until a few months ago, haha! I think you would really love it, Jess!