This Sunshine Kale Salad is packed with veggies and topped off with a bright and zippy citrus dressing. It’s a great way to get in your daily vegetable servings!
Happy New Year! I hope your 2021 is off to a great start! I wanted to start off this year fresh and decided that this Sunshine Kale Salad was the perfect way to do that. The base of the salad is kale but it’s also loaded with lots of other healthy veggies, crunchy sunflower seeds and a sweet and tangy citrus dressing.
I love to make kale salads this time of year because they’re hearty and filling but also healthy and fresh. You can easily add some chickpeas, tempeh or tofu to turn this salad into more of a full meal.
INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR MY SUNSHINE KALE SALAD
- Kale – I like to use green curly kale for most kale salads but Dino kale or purple kale would also work.
- Purple Cabbage – I love the bright color of purple cabbage but green cabbage would also work. It adds such a nice crunch.
- Yellow Bell Pepper – Yellow bell peppers are sweeter and more mild than green peppers and they also add some nice bright color to the salad. If you can’t find yellow, orange or red would work too.
- Carrot – I like to shred the carrots but you could grate them or even just dice them.
- Red Onion – I love the texture and taste that raw red onion adds to my salads.
- Green Onion – Green onion is optional but I love the flavor that it adds to salad and goes well with the cabbage.
- Apple – I’m a big fan of adding fruit to my savory salads to add a little sweetness and the apple goes so well with the other ingredients.
- Sunflower Seeds – Roasted nuts are always a great alternative to adding croutons to your salads. Walnuts or almonds would work also.
- Citrus Dressing – This citrus dressing is key to make this Sunshine Kale Salad light and fresh! It’s made with just a few simple ingredients including: olive oil, lemon juice, orange juice, maple syrup and dijon mustard. It’s fresh, sweet and tangy!
HOW TO STORE YOUR KALE SALAD
This salad is great for eating immediately or making in advance. Here are a few tips if you’re making it in advance:
- Don’t add the salad dressing until ready to serve.
- Leave the sunflower seeds off until ready to serve.
- Wait until ready to serve to cut the apple so it doesn’t brown.
- Assemble the kale and veggies together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.
LOOKING FOR MORE DELICIOUS KALE SALAD RECIPES?
Kale Salad with Sweet Potato and Lentils
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Sunshine Kale Salad
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 8 1x
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This Sunshine Kale Salad is loaded with veggies and topped with a sweet and tangy citrus dressing!
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale (about 6 cups when chopped)
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chopped purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 medium sized apple, thinly sliced
- 1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion
- 1/2 cup toasted and salted sunflower seeds
Citrus Dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (I prefer from an orange rather than a bottle)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until combined.
- Wash your kale and then remove the stems from the leaves. Chop kale into bite size pieces and add to a large bowl. Next, add the rest of the vegetables and mix until combined.
- Pour on desired amount of dressing and add sunflower seeds and mix again. Serve immediately. See above text for how to assemble if making salad ahead of time.
Notes
Nutritional information is for if you use the entire amount of dressing. Fat grams will be much less if you just use a small amount.
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Category: Salad, Vegan
- Method: No cook
- Cuisine: American
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