Today I want to tell you about one of my favorite salads. Yes, it’s a sort of ‘detox salad’.
My mom first made it for me for me three years ago. I adore the recipe for so many reasons: it’s fresh, bright, and flavorful. Plus you can add nearly anything to it to dress it up.
If you’ve never had kale before, this salad is perfect to start with!
The reason I call this a detox salad because not only is it vegan and gluten free, but it also has an incredible amount of good for you ingredients in it.
Side note: I’m watching Dawson’s Creek right now. Paceyyyyyyyy!
Sorry… back to the salad.
It’s made with bright veggies including red, orange, and yellow bell peppers plus carrots and onions.
To keep it flavorful, I added both cilantro and parsley. They taste like a million bucks so you better add those bad boys in. Not kidding!
Oh and the dressing? INCREDIBLE! I adapted it from my lemon dressing in another one of my kale salads. Pretty much essential to the success of the recipe.
Now you’ll need to refrigerate this salad for at least an hour to ensure that dressing marinates with the kale. Because that’s what makes it magical.
Finally add avocado and roasted almonds. If you want to make it a complete meal, you can add quinoa!
I know that you’ll enjoy this salad. Scratch that, you’ll LOVE it!
More healthy salads you’ll love:
Vegan Curried Broccoli Chickpea Salad
Chopped Thai Kale Salad with Peanut Ginger Dressing
Everything Spring Green Salad with Basil Lemon Vinaigrette
Kale, Edamame & Quinoa Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Fiesta Mango Black Bean Quinoa Salad
Kale Rainbow Detox Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- For the Vinaigrette:
- Juice of 3 lemons (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar, if desired to sweeten it up
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- For the salad:
- 2 bunches kale (about 6-8 cups), desteemed and finely chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/3 cup chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup roasted almonds
- 1/2 avocado, diced
Instructions
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To make dressing: place lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and salt in bowl; whisk together until combined and set aside.
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In a large bowl, toss kale, bell peppers, onions, and carrots together. Add dressing, cilantro, and parsley.
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Use hands to massage kale with dressing; this is important so that the kale absorbs the dressing. Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour to let flavors soak in.
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Before serving, toss salad again. Top with almonds and avocado. Makes 4 servings. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes
To make this a full meal, add in a cup or two of cooked quinoa!
36 comments
What a gorgeous salad! Pinned! I love the flavors, the kale, the lemon,the detox factor…yes! And the bowl? Is it Anthro? I have a dinner plate that seems similar and that’s where I got it from. I love the bowl and need that! 🙂
I believe the bowl is by Jurliska???
It’s actually from Home Goods! 🙂 Not sure of the brand though, sorry!
So much goodness in one bowl! Love it!
What an amazing salad! I absolutely love kale and all the add-ins sound terrific! I definitely need to be eating more salads after all that holiday eating!
This needs to be on my lunch menu asap! Mom’s make the best food for sure!
I love your serving bowl. And well, kale is just awesome!
Cook time 1 hr.?
This is my definition of a perfect salad! Going to make this tonight and add a little grilled chicken. Yum!
This looks amazing! Right up my alley. 🙂
This looks seriously yum, Monique! My body would la la love it 😀
Amazing looking salad but must we really label it ‘detox vegan’ and ‘gluten free’ to be enticing…
Yum! I love a good kale salad. Also, Pacey all the way. Dawson was such a cry baby.
Vegan stuffs are very healthy so this recipe is undeniable one of the healthiest stuffs that we can include in our meals.Thanks for sharing the recipe here. I love the ingredients so I will surely love it.
Oo, gorgeous! It looks delicious!!!
Saving this recipe. I think I’d add a little honey over sugar for the dressing, and definitely some quinoa or garbanzos to fill it out a bit!
Recently discovered your blog. And I love love everything about it. Have made a few things already and they turned out amazing! thanks
So happy to have you!
This salad is tonight’s dinner at my place. I have baked 3 different healthy treats + 2 other salads from your blog, all in the last 3 weeks. My family of 5 just can’t get enough of your delicious recipes!! Keep them coming, please Monique. P.S. I hope Australia gives you lots of cooking inspiration as well as having a great holiday. Come and visit the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, we have the best beaches in the world. 🙂
Hi Linda! Thank you for making my recipes! I love Australia so much – I probably won’t come back to America 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious! I have a question though…what’s the longest you can let a kale salad marinate? I want to make this the night before, and bring it to lunch the next day; would that be a good idea?
NUM!!!!
Had this tonight…LOVE IT! I used a pinch of stevia for the sweetness. I do have the same question as Holly though…can I dress this say at 7am for lunch at noon? Thank you!!
Yes!
Well first of all…Dawson’s Creek is my absolute favorite show. I actually got a picture on Dawson’s dock last summer in Wilmington : )
Anyway, can’t wait to try this salad. How long would you say it stays good in the refrigerator?
Dawson’s dock?! How cool!
This will stay good for up to 3 days.
Just made this and it tastes awesome!! I substituted the sugar with raw honey and the dressing is delicious!! Will definitely be making this for my family.
This is one great salad,made a double batch as I just harvested a lot of kale from my garden. The dressing is perfect and I did not double the recipe.thanks.
Glad you loved it, Gayle!
Detoxification has been performed admirably, for as long as there have been livers, by the liver.
Pacey and Joey ❤️❤️❤️❤️ My favorite couple!!! The salad looks great!!
Yes!! And you’ll have to give this one a try 🙂 so delicious.
SO GOOD!
Freaking Awesome!
Made this with oven baked tilapia with a butter lemon garlic basil fish topping. Paired extremely well. Thank you!!! Will be making this rainbow salad probably till I die now on.
Perfect! So glad you loved this!
I was looking for a kale salad with a light vinaigrette and ran across this one – it’s absolutely perfect! I added a chopped up turkey burger for some protein and had a fantastic lunch. Just what I needed after cake and wine at a wedding reception last night! 😂