It’s that time of the year when everyone’s searching for a new salad to detox in the New Year. I’m sure you’ve been googling salads quite a bit throughout the last few weeks, right?

Thought so.

Well, now there’s no need to search anymore because today I’ve got an amazing kale salad for you that’s full of flavor and so much natural sweetness- you can say good-bye to all those sweet cravings.

You ready?

This is an easy recipe that you can serve on a weeknight. It’s also great to serve when entertaining on the weekends. If you can multi-task then you can do this recipe in a jiffy. All you need to do is roast the sweet potatoes while you’re cooking up the quinoa and massage the kale with a little bit of oil. Then you toss it all together with some fresh lemon juice and zest, dried fruit, green apples and walnuts. Simple, right?

I thought so.

You know those nights when you’re exhausted and you don’t want to make anything for dinner? Well, this is one of those recipes you can serve when you don’t feel like doing anything but ordering take-out.

It’s also equally as delicious when you serve it as cold leftovers for lunch. Just sayin’.

I happen to really like cold leftovers. But that’s just me. If you’re not into cold leftovers (like my Uncle Mike), then just warm everything up in a large skillet with a little bit of avocado oil or olive oil.

Before I let you dive into this salad I want to talk a little bit about why I chose to use sweet potatoes and goldenberries and apples. I added these naturally sweet foods because they don’t contain any added refined sugar (which is highly inflammatory). I paired them with healthy fats like walnuts and avocado or olive oil to balance your blood sugar. I also added in fresh dinosaur kale for a nice leafy green dose of fiber and nutrients to add some bulk to the meal. There’s always a story behind why I add certain ingredients to my recipes so if you’re ever wondering why I used a certain ingredient, just ask!

You’re going to love this salad. I know it. Enjoy.

xo

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The Best Kale Salad {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan}

Serves: 4

 

Print

Prep

5 minutes

Cook

15 minutes

Total

20 minutes

 

Free of Gluten, Dairy, Soy, Corn, Eggs, Sugar. Vegan, Vegetarian.

Author: Amie Valpone

Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup quinoa
• Water
• 2 large sweet potatoes scrubbed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 head dinosaur flat kale ends trimmed
• 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 large Granny Smith apple thinly sliced
• Juice of 1 large lemon
• 2 Tbsp. raw walnuts
• 1-2 Tbsp. dried cherries or cranberries or goldenberries
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest
• pinch crushed red pepper flakes or chili powder

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Cook quinoa on the stove top in a medium saucepan in water according to package directions. Remove from the heat and fluff with a fork.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the sweet potatoes on a large rimmed baking sheet. Sprinkle with sea salt and freshly ground pepper. Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until very tender. Remove from the oven.
4. In a large bowl, massage the kale with the olive oil using your hands until the leaves are tender, soft and dark brown. You can choose to chop the kale or leave the kale leaves whole. Add the remaining ingredients; toss to combine and serve immediately or chilled.

Nutrition Facts

The Best Kale Salad {Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Sugar-Free, Vegan}

Amount Per Serving

Calories 270 Calories from Fat 90

% Daily Value*

Fat 10g15%

Saturated Fat 1g6%

Sodium 198mg9%

Potassium 580mg17%

Carbohydrates 41g14%

Fiber 6g25%

Sugar 10g11%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 12661IU253%

Vitamin C 49mg59%

Calcium 95mg10%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.