Kale and Beet Salad

Name: Kale and Beet Salad
Prep time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 4-6
Ingredients: 4 cups of kale, massaged and finely chopped; 1 cup cooked beets, diced; 2 oz goat cheese + more for topping; 1/3 cup finely diced red onion; 1/2 cup candied pecans, chopped; 1/3 cup maple dijon dressing or to taste

Recipes

May 2

Written By Lauren Twigge

This flavor filled kale and beet salad combines kale, beets, goats cheese, and candied pecans then is tossed in a homemade maple dijon dressing that is sure to wow any dinner guest.

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I have a confession to make. I’m a dietitian…and I don’t like kale. That is, until I learned how to prep and serve kale that actually tastes good!

Kale is a dark leafy green that is high in various vitamins and minerals making it a nutrition superstar that we want to get more of on our plate. While kale is full of nutrients, it is also full of a decently bitter flavor that needs to be tamed and paired with other delicious flavor co-stars.

The first step to making kale enjoyable is to massage the kale to soften the texture and the flavor. The second step to enjoying kale (in my opinion) is to pair it with other bold flavors like those found in this easy kale and beet salad.

Between the kale and the beets, this simple salad is packed with superfoods whose flavors are accentuated with some goats cheese and then tossed in a delicious maple dijon dressing. If you are someone who has been looking for recipes that make kale taste better, you need to try this salad!

Why you’ll love this recipe:

You’ll absolutely love this beet and kale salad because it is:

Delicious: Even my husband loved it, and my husband doesn’t love salad so that’s saying alot. While there aren’t many ingredients, there are bold flavors in this recipe that really complement one another.
Nutritious: Kale and beets are both nutrition superstars. Kale contains Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, calcium, and other nutrients that support our health. Beets are rich in various vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that could help lower blood pressure and fight inflammation.
Meal prep friendly: Due to the tougher texture of kale, this is actually a meal prep friendly salad! While it may not stay crunchy in the fridge for 5 days, you can prep and toss this salad and store it in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Only a few ingredients: This recipe only needs 5 ingredients plus those found in the maple dijon dressing.
Coated in a homemade salad dressing: I think the maple dijon dressing is an essential component of this recipe and it’s super easy to make. With just a few ingredients, you’ll be saying bye bye to store bought dressings and pouring this one on everything instead!

This salad has become a popular kale side dish in my home and I think you’ll love it too!

Ingredients:

While this salad may look fancy, it’s actually surprisingly simple. You’ll only need a few ingredients for this recipe including:

Kale: I used the common curly kale but you could also use lacinato kale! The key is to finely chop the kale and then massage it in a bit of lemon juice to soften the leaves.
*You’ll need a lemon or some lemon juice to massage the kale.
Cooked beets: I used canned beets but you could also buy these cooked beets. If you want to cook your own, I recommend roasting your beets in the oven.
Diced red onion
Candied pecans: these will add a touch of sweetness. If you cannot find candied pecans, candied walnuts would also be a great addition to this salad.
Goats cheese: could also use crumbled feta
Maple dijon dressing: this is key!
*If you do not want to make your own dressing, a poppyseed store bought dressing would also work for this recipe.

recipe for a homemade maple dijon dressing. — **Maple Dijon Dressing**

*This simple* ***maple dijon dressing*** *is the perfect dressing for you kale and beet salad. Be sure to check out this recipe and add these ingredients to your cart!*

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The process:

You’ll have this salad ready to serve in just a few simple steps:

Remove your kale leaves from the step. Finely chop your kale and massage with lemon for about 2-3 minutes or until the leaves start to soften.
Dice your beets into 1/4 inch cubes, finely chop your onion, and roughly chop your pecans. Add all of those ingredients to a large salad bowl and then add in about 2 oz of goats cheese.
Make your maple dijon dressing, add about 1/3 cup to your salad (or preferred dressing amount), and toss until well coated. Top your salad with a few more pieces of goats cheese, serve, and enjoy!

LTN Tip: While massaging the kale is optional, I do think it makes kale significantly more enjoyable. There are many different ways to massage your kale and you can find an instructional video here.

kale and beet salad with maple dijon dressing

Swaps & Substitutions:

Make this recipe your own by:

Changing out your dressing: Don’t have time to make the maple dijon dressing? This salad would also be tasty with a balsamic or poppyseed dressing.
Adding additional veggies: Add some extra flavor with cucumbers, broccoli, spinach, micro-greens and more.
Add a salty component: if you want to opt out of the glazed pecans, you can added salted almonds or salt and pepper nuts instead.
Swap your cheese: If you do not like goats cheese, you can add crumbled feta instead.
Flavor your beets: If you choose to roast your own beets, you can change out your seasonings to add new flavors to the salad.
Add other roasted flavors: Roasted sweet potato or cooked butternut squash would be a great way to make this recipe a delicious fall salad.
Toss in some fruit: dried cranberries or blueberries as well as finely chopped medjool dates would be a delicious addition.

And more!

Recipe FAQ:

Is this a meal prep friendly salad?
1. Yes, this salad can be meal prepped! Because kale is so much tougher than other greens, it actually will hold it integrity in the refrigerator for longer than other salad. You can toss this salad in the dressing and store it in the refrigerator for 3 days.
My goat cheese seemed to disappear?
1. Goat cheese is incredibly soft and will start to absorb into the dressing when you toss this salad. Completely normal and the flavor of the goat cheese will still come through. I recommend adding some extra goat cheese to the top of the salad for presentation.
Should anyone avoid eating kale?
1. As with many leafy greens, kale contains vitamin K which should be considered by those who are on blood thinners. If you are planning to start eating large amounts of kale and you are on blood thinners, be sure to talk with your doctor first.

Yield: 4-6

Author: Lauren Twigge