When you are looking for a nutritious and hearty salad that will fuel you up and give you a boost, this Healthy Beet and Kale Salad with Ginger Turmeric Dressing is loaded up with super nutrient packed foods including roasted beets, carrots, kale, radishes, and chickpeas, tossed in a bright lemon, ginger, and turmeric vinaigrette.
While I am not really a fan of making New Year’s resolutions (anytime of the year is good time to commit to things like healthy eating, exercising, and self improvement), I do always find myself looking for something extra healthy to get back into a normal routine after the craziness of the holidays. With so many holiday parties, get togethers, and other social obligations, the holidays are a crazy time of year for all of us. But with Steve’s birthday falling right between Christmas and New Years, it always seems like the last two (or three) weeks of the year fly by in an especially crazy blur for us.
While I love the opportunity to spend time and celebrate with so many great friends and family members, I always look forward to that first week of January where things slow down, and we can start to get back to ourselves. This year was especially a doozy leaving me and Steve both feeling sluggish, run down, and overextended by the time the New Year set in, and I was craving something super healthy to power me up and help detoxify from all of the festivities. As I am just reconnecting and committing to a 31 day yoga journey with my favorite Boho Beautiful, this Healthy Beet and Kale Salad with Ginger Turmeric Dressing is just what I needed to fuel me up and power me through!
It is loaded up with lots of my favorite healthy, immune boosting foods to get your immune system and digestive system back on track. This kale detox salad is perfect for a healthy dinner or filling lunch, and it can even be made ahead of time, so it is perfect for meal prep anytime you want a healthy boost to your routine. I made up a big batch of this Healthy Beet and Kale Salad to enjoy for lunches throughout the week, and I love having something quick, easy, and nutritious to grab for lunch each day.
What Is in This Healthy Beet and Kale Salad?
My goal with this salad was to create a powerful salad packed with colorful veggies, fiber and protein, and an abundance of nutrient rich, flavorful, and healthy ingredients. With a variety of textures, colors, and flavors, this salad is an exciting feast for the eyes and taste buds. It includes crunch from the grated carrots, radishes, and walnuts, a slight creaminess from the chickpeas, and sweet, earthiness from the roasted beets.
This Healthy Beet and Kale Salad is tossed in a Golden Ginger Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing that is as beautiful as it is flavorful. Thanks to lots of ground turmeric, this dressing boosts a beautiful golden color. It has some brightness from a squeeze of lemon, a bite from the fresh ginger, and a little sweetness from a touch of honey.
Some of my favorite nutritious “superfood” ingredients included in this healthy power salad recipe include:
- Kale: A sweet, bold, and delicious green, kale is still one of my favorites for healthy salads, packed with vitamins A, K, B6, and C, potassium, calcium, and iron.
- Radishes: An underrated vegetable, radishes are rich in antioxidants and minerals like calcium and potassium. They can help lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and reduce your risk of heart disease.
- Beets: Packed with nutrients, beets are a great source of fiber, folate, manganese, iron, and vitamin C. Also high in phytonutrients and antioxidants, beets may help reduce inflammation in the body. I used a combination of red and golden beets for extra color.
- Chickpeas: High in fiber and protein, adding chickpeas to this Healthy Beet and Kale Salad helps keep you feeling full and satisfied.
- Walnuts: Rich in omega 3 fats and high in antioxidants, walnuts can improve brain health and prevent heart disease and cancer. Learn more about the health benefits of walnuts.
- Turmeric: Known for fighting inflammation, lowering cholesterol, boosting brain function, aiding in fat metabolism and digestion, and preventing age-related illness, turmeric is a super food offering many nutrients and antioxidants.
- Ginger: Ginger boosts an abundance of health benefits such as powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects, aiding in digestion and preventing nausea, lowering bad cholesterol, and improving brain function.
How Can I Modify this Health Kale Salad Recipe?
If you want to mix up this salad to meet your tastes or dietary needs, there are a lot of great healthy substitutions that you can make. For example:
- Add avocado for extra healthy fats and luxurious creaminess
- Substitute sunflower seeds or pepitas for the walnuts for a nut allergy
- Substitute walnut oil for the olive oil for an extra boost of omega 3s (learn more about the health benefits of walnut oil)
- Substitute watermelon radishes for an extra colorful crunch
- Toss in some chopped herbs such as parsley or cilantro for extra flavor and nutrition
Looking for More Healthy Salad Recipes?
If you are looking for more healthy salad recipes to help get you on track for a healthy diet this new year or anytime you are looking for a healthy nutrition boost, here are some more of my favorites that are perfect for lunch, dinner, or make ahead meal prep:
- Walnut, Apple, and Kale Power Salad
- Wild Rice and Kale Salad with Lemon Dill Vinaigrette
- Mango Kale Salad with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette
- Greek Salad with Kale and Quinoa
- Roasted Sweet Potato, Kale, & Quinoa Power Bowl
- Walnut and Roasted Broccoli Salad
Beet and Kale Salad with Ginger Turmeric Dressing
Ingredients
- 3 small beets
- 1 carrot (grated)
- 3 radishes (thinly sliced)
- 4 cups kale (stems removed and chopped finely)
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas
- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts (finely chopped)
Ginger Turmeric Vinaigrette Dressing
- 2 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 inch ginger
- juice from 1 lemon
- 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
- 2 tsp honey
- 3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450
- Slice beets into eighths. Spread out on a small baking sheet in an even layer. Coat in a drizzle of olive oil and sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, flipping half way through cooking.
- While the beets cook, use a zester to finely grate the ginger and garlic. Combine ginger and garlic with other salad ingredients and salt and pepper to taste in a glass jar. Seal tightly with a lid and shake until combined.
- Add kale to a large bowl, drizzle with a little olive oil, and massage gently between fingers until kale softens and becomes a bright green. Add cooked and slightly cooled beets, grated carrot, radishes, chickpeas, and walnuts. Pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.
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