Roasted Carrot & Kale Salad
It’s about time I shared this kale salad recipe with you because I have been eating so much of it around here lately. I’ve probably made about three batches of it in the past three or four weeks.
We tend to eat dinner leftovers for lunch most days, but we fill in the gaps with fruits, veggies, cheese, nuts, etc. For me, this kale salad has been taking the place of a lot of those things recently, and I’ve been content to simply have a big bowl of this each day for lunch. (…though I will admit that on one occasion I ate it with a side of Sour Patch Kids. Do the Sour Patch Kids make me lose all of my kale salad points? Don’t answer that.)
I think many people are turned off by kale because its texture is a little harsh. For this recipe, we’ll take away some of the coarseness by removing the tough parts of the stems and then massaging it with the dressing before serving it. Basically, that just means that we’ll whisk together our vinaigrette and then knead it into the chopped kale with our hands for 4 to 5 minutes to break down the fibers.
In my opinion, the best part of this salad is the honey roasted carrots. Roasted carrots are superior to all other carrots. Who’s with me on that? We’ll also add pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shell) for some crunch and dried cranberries for a little sweet/tart pop of flavor.
This whole salad comes together in about 30 minutes, so it’s perfect for a simple lunch or weeknight dinner. It’s also great to prepare ahead of time to eat throughout the week.
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If nothing else, I hope this recipe can convince at least one person that kale is NOT that bad and can actually be pretty delicious!
You might also like: Balsamic Onion & Goat Cheese Salad
If you try this Roasted Carrot & Kale Salad at home, I’d love to hear what you think! Share pictures with me on social media by tagging @thesavvyplate on Instagram or Twitter or by mentioning my page The Savvy Plate Blog on Facebook!
Roasted Carrot & Kale Salad
Massaged kale salad tossed with honey-roasted carrots, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds, and a honey dijon dressing
Ingredients
- 4 whole carrots
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp honey
- pinch of salt
- 12 oz. chopped kale (about 10 cups)
- 1/2 cup pepitas (pumpkin seeds without the shells)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
for the vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp honey
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 375. Peel carrots and slice into coins 1/4 inch thick. You can cut some of the coins from the wide end of the carrot into semi-circles to maintain a more uniform size.
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Toss carrots with 2 tbsp olive oil, 1 tbsp honey, and a pinch of salt. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and spread the carrots out across it. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring halfway through.
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Meanwhile, add the chopped kale to a large mixing bowl, removing tough stems as needed. Whisk together the ingredients for the vinaigrette, and pour about half of it over the kale. Massage the kale (knead it with your hands) until you can tell the fibers are starting to break down and it reaches your desired texture. This should take about 4 to 5 minutes.
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When the carrots are finished roasting (I sometimes like to turn on the broiler during the last minute or two to get some browning), toss them, along with the pepitas, cranberries, and remaining vinaigrette into the bowl and combine with the kale.
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18 Comments
Diana
This sounds delicious! I am trying it out tonight!
xx
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Savannah
Oh yay! I’d love to hear how it turns out!
Chelsea
Looks delish!! I LOVE kale and try to put it in everything!
Savannah
I’ve definitely been having a lot of it these past few weeks!
Stephanie
My mouth is literally watering as I read through this. I absolutely love kale – and it makes me so happy that my fiancé does too! I can’t wait to try this salad out for us on an at-home date night soon!
Savannah
It’s always a small victory when the person you’re living with loves the same polarizing food as you. 😂
adriana
This looks SO good! I love trying new salads – such a great idea!
Savannah
Thank you!
Katie
This looks delicious! I am always on the hunt for more salad recipes. Thank you!
Savannah
Yes, I’m always up for a new salad idea too!
Lecy | A Simpler Grace
I love the idea of using roasted carrots in a salad! Usually, all the veggies are super crunchy and this would give it a really nice texture.
Savannah
It does give it a nice texture! You still get a little crunch from the pepitas, and I think roasted carrots have such a great flavor!
Alex
This looks amazing! So many people are not a fan of kale, but I love it…especially when roasted!
Savannah
I think massaging it with the vinaigrette makes all the difference!
Audrey
I LOVE kale but have never tried roasted carrots with it! I’m excited to try this out!
Savannah
Roasted carrots have always been my favorite part of pot roast meals, so at this point I’m just looking for excuses to include them as much as possible!
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