This winter kale salad is hearty, healthy, and full of roasted in-season vegetables! Drizzled with maple mustard vinaigrette, this salad is full of warmth and flavor.
Since I moved back to the US a few months ago, I’ve been indulging on all the vegan junk food I didn’t have access to while I was living in Spain. This has been fun, but it’s time to get back on track to living my healthiest (and best) life. This recipe is for me and for you: the perfect winter salad 🥗
It is sooo much easier to eat healthy in the summer than in the winter. When it’s cold outside, you just want to curl up with a steamy bowl of chili or a big slice of warm lasagna. It can be hard for a salad to compete with these delicious comfort foods, but this winter salad is so hearty and satisfying it definitely holds it’s own.
How to make the perfect winter salad
This winter salad is full of in-season cool-weather veggies, including a base of kale along with roasted carrots, beets, and brussels sprouts. The kale leaves are massaged to break down some of the bitterness and make the leaves more tender. The carrots, beets, and brussels sprouts are roasted to sweet, caramelized perfection. And everything is generously coated with a delicious maple mustard vinaigrette that complements the veggies perfectly.
This flavor combination is incredible, but some other in-season winter veggies you could add in would be turnips, radishes, parsnips, and fennel just to name a few!
This salad is perfect for meal prep so you can enjoy it throughout the week! Kale holds up really well in the fridge, but if you decide to swap the kale for another salad green I suggest keeping the greens separate from the dressing and veggies until the day you plan to eat it.
How to make maple mustard vinaigrette
Homemade dressings are so simple to make– all you need is a blender and a good recipe. This maple mustard vinaigrette is full of maple syrup, dijon mustard, lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, and salt + pepper. Blend up all the ingredients until smooth and you got yourself an amazing dressing.
Want more healthy salads to meal prep? Check out my Mediterranean Chickpea Salad!
If you make this recipe, leave it a rating and a comment! You can also tag me @Daughter_of_Seitan on Instagram so I can see your lovely food creations. XOXO
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Winter Kale Salad with Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 40 mins
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salads
- Method: Baking
Description
This winter kale salad is hearty, healthy, and full of roasted in-season vegetables! Drizzled with maple mustard vinaigrette, this salad is full of warmth and flavor.
Ingredients
Winter Salad
- 1 bunch of kale
- 10 brussels sprouts, cut into halves
- 1 large carrot, cut into 1/4 in coins
- 1 medium red onion, thickly sliced
- 1 medium beet, cut into 1/2 in cubes
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- Salt + pepper to taste
Maple Mustard Vinaigrette
- 2 small lemons, juiced (6 tablespoons)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons dijon mustard
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- fresh black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Chop all your veggies and place them in a large mixing bowl. Coat with 1 tablespoon olive oil and salt + pepper to taste.
- Spread veggies evenly on a lined or greased baking tray. Bake for 20 minutes, flip, then bake an addition 18-20 minutes.
- While your veggies are cooking, prepare the maple mustard vinaigrette. Put all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Set aside.
- Wash and destem your kale, and place in a large mixing bowl. Massage your kale for a few minutes until it becomes darker and tender. Massaging the kale makes it a lot softer, less bitter, and more pleasant to eat. Do not skip this step!
- Pour about half of the dressing over the massaged kale and toss to evenly coat the leaves.
- Once the veggies are done toss them with the kale and the remaining dressing.
- This salad keeps 4-5 days in the fridge and is perfect for meal prep!
Keywords: Kale, Salad, Winter Vegetables, Roasted Vegetables
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