This Kale & Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Vinaigrette is a great vegan salad that makes a fantastic side dish or lunch.
Nothing like starting a brand new website and then disappearing.
We’ve been on the road lately and though I had great plans to keep up with things, it just hasn’t happened. Though for the most part I love this crazy location independent lifestyle, I’ve got to say that it is really hard with a baby who just doesn’t stop.
Honestly, I don’t remember the boys being nearly this wild at 11 1/2 months. She isn’t all that interested in toys but loves everything else. Trash, paper, electrical sockets, just folded laundry, the toilet….
Right now she can’t be left alone for even a minute and that means that my time for cooking and creating content is very limited.
Stick with me though. I have a lot of things planned for this website and by early May I’ll be settled in a place for a while and be able to hire a Skye-chaser a few hours a day so I can get a little work done. And you know, sit down for a minute or two.
In the mean time, I have a salad for you that you really must try.
This is without a doubt my new favorite.
If you are short on time you can skip the candied walnuts and just use regular but I have to say that these babies were worth the extra effort even with my limited free time.
I should also note that if you don’t have chia seeds handy for the dressing you can just double the oil. The only purpose of the chia seeds is to cut down on calories in the dressing and omitting them will not impact flavor a bit.
Until next time!
If You Like this Kale and Beet Salad You May Also Like:
- Kale Waldorf Salad
- Southwestern Quinoa Pasta Salad
- Chicken Broccoli Cauliflower Risotto
- Kale Tahini Salad
Kale & Beet Salad with Candied Walnuts and Balsamic Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- Salad
- 6 medium beets
- 2 bunchs kale washed, center ribs removed and cut into thin pieces
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup candied walnuts
- Optional: 2 ounces goat cheese
- Dressing
- 2 teaspoons chia seeds
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons coconut or agave nectar or maple syrup
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup walnut halves
- 2 tablespoons coconut nectar or maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Trim and wash beets. Place in a large baking dish and cover with foil. Bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until tenter. Cool. Peel and julienne.
- Meanwhile, place a skillet over medium high heat. Add walnuts, coconut nectar and sea salt. Cook, stirring constantly for about four minutes. (If you are easing a thin pan, you may need to cut the cooking time short to avoid burning.) Remove walnuts from pan and all to cool on parchment paper.
- Make Dressing Combine chia seeds and water and set aside for 10 minutes to thicken. Stir occasionally. Place chia gel in a blender and add vinegar, mustard, coconut nectar, garlic and sea salt. Process until blended. With the blender on, add vinegar in a steady stream. Process until emulsified. (Dressing may be made ahead of time and stored in a jar in the refrigerator.)
- Put Salad Together Place kale in a large bowl. Cover clean hands with a teaspoon of olive oil. Sprinkle kale with a little salt and massage until tender. (Optional- read about massaging kale here.)
- Add beets and cranberries and toss with desired amount of dressing. Top with walnuts and goat cheese (optional) and serve
Notes
Nutrition
Those flavor combinations are perfect.