Crunchy Carrot Beet Kale Salad

Kale is a powerhouse of nutrients. It has been becoming popular and seen in various forms across many recipes these days promoting healthy eating. This recipe is my first experiment with Kale leaves which i loved to core and would like to share with all of you today. Presenting Crunchy Carrot Beet Kale Salad.

I have never been a salad person. Having raised in India, our meals were usually elaborate and consisted of lentils, curries/gravies and flat breads. Salads were always considered a side dish and hence it was not given as much love or attention. A typical salad in India would mean tomatoes, onions and cucumber slices sprinkled with salt, chili powder and a dash of lemon juice. I remotely found my interest in them and hence i could never perceive them as meal replacements.

That perception changed when i shifted abroad. Here, salads are a vegetarian’s paradise. With so many variations to choose from, there is something interesting for everyone. The salads here have a fantastic mingling of freshness, colors, textures and flavours which brings out the best in the ingredients and takes these salads to a whole new level. I fell in love with them here and started appreciating them 🙂

Now, for some funny confession – I am no good at making salads. Yes, i know it might sound a little lame but since i did not grow up eating them a whole lot, i find it very tough to think of combinations of ingredients and dressings which pair up well. My second confession, (and u may call it a pet peeve) is that i like my salads to be focusing more on the natural flavour of the ingredients. I do not like to over power them with dressings. A simple vinaigrette is what i appreciate the best as it helps in bringing the salads together without changing the natural character of the salad ingredients.

I have tried some salads in the past with feta and greens like this – Herb Feta Salad and loved it ! This time, i took my chance and got home a big, fresh bunch of Kale leaves. Having heard so many good things about Kale, i really wanted to give it a go and not miss out on the awesome vitamins it contains. I am so glad i did go for it ! I found Kale to be a very exciting ingredient to work with. Though a bit bitter to taste by itself, when mixed with some other ingredients, it all came together to make a crunchy and hearty salad ! I also experimented with including the raw Kale along with romaine lettuce in sandwiches for lunch and made a big batch of kale chips the following evening and i can say, Kale impressed me ! I am a Kale fan now 🙂

This salad is a super house of nutrients and packs in the goodness of all things wonderful – kale, carrots, beets and nuts ! Enjoy !

Crunchy Carrot Beet Kale Salad

Crunchy Carrot Beet Kale Salad

Servings: 4
Time: 10 mins
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Recipe

1 bunch of Kale leaves, thoroughly washed and cut into bite size (discard the mid section of kale leaves as it is very hard to eat)
1 big carrot, peeled and shredded
1 beet root, peeled and shredded
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted

Dressing

1 tablespoon extra virgin oil
1 tsp vinegar (balsamic/ white / cider) – i used balsamic
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon agave/ honey

Method

Take a big mixing bowl. To it, add in all the components of the salad except the dressing and toss together well.
In a separate bowl, mix in the ingredients for the dressing and whisk well till the oil emulsifying with the lemon juice.
Pour over the Salad mixture and toss it well. The Crunchy Carrot Beet Kale Salad is ready. Enjoy !

For a person who was never into Salads, i can say that i am in total love with this one ! The simple, fresh dressing and the kale leaves lending a crunch to this Salad makes it completely irresistible. I had a big bowl of this salad for lunch along with some home made fresh fruit smoothie and felt satisfied and healthy ! This Salad is a “feel good” food for sure 🙂 Try it !

Taking this recipe for the burgers to the Virtual Vegan linky Potluck

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