This salad will make the perfect healthy side for any Thanksgiving dinner. Perfect to make for your own family, or bring to a holiday potluck.
Festive Fall Kale Salad
Serves 3-4
FOR THE SALAD
- 4 golden beets (or however many you have from one small bunch)
- 2 cups cooked quinoa, if you’d like to prepare the grain ahead of time
- 1½ cups water
- ⅓ cup pecan pieces
- ⅓ c pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ c pomegranate arils
- 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 small bunch curly kale, stems removed and chopped
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
FOR THE MAPLE MUSTARD DRESSING
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or tahini
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 11⁄2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon warm water, more if needed
DIRECTIONS
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Trim the beets and wrap each one in foil. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until the beets are fork tender. Allow them to cool, run them under cold water, and slip the skins off (they should come off very easily). Chop the beets and set them aside.
- Place a small frying pan or skillet over low heat. Add the pecans and pumpkin seeds and toast, shaking the pan every 30 seconds or so, until they smell nutty and toasted, about 3 minutes. Transfer the pieces to a plate.
- To make the dressing, combine the oil, maple syrup, mustard, coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, balsamic vinegar, nutritional yeast, and water in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combine. If the dressing is thicker than you’d like, add a bit more water, tablespoon by tablespoon.
- When all of the ingredients are ready, add the kale to a large mixing bowl, along with 3 tablespoons of the dressing. Massage the dressing into the kale, quite literally massaging the kale, until the kale is softened and well coated with dressing.
- Add the quinoa, beets, pecans, pumpkin seeds, pomegranate arils, and hemp seeds to the mixing bowl. Toss to combine. Keep adding dressing until the salad is dressed to your liking – any extra dressing should last in the fridge for about a week in a sealed container. Taste and add salt if needed and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
Wishing you the happiest Thanksgiving!
xx
