Don’t just take an ordinary salad to Thanksgiving dinner, make this fabulous Kale salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette. Forget just Thanksgiving, this is my kind of salad all year round!
No matter what your dietary restrictions are, you can usually fill them with a salad. This salad is full of ‘superfoods’, tons of nutrition in one place, and can be made vegan by leaving the cheese out.
So many people I know don’t like beets. I love them (as long as they are not in a smoothie), and love them more in salads.
Why would you put them in a smoothie, anyway?
With some creamy type of cheese, like goat cheese, or feta, mixed with the beets, just makes a complete flavor profile that seems to be made for each other.
Plus beets are also a source of betaine, a type of antioxidant that’s evident in its rich, red-colored roots.and a source of manganese, folate, B2 and potassium.
Then we have Kale, another great source of vitamins.
Kale is packed with protein, calcium, iron, vitamin A, fiber, and it has more vitamin C than any other leafy green.
Have you ever given kale a massage? No? I promise this isn’t going to get weird.
Massaging kale makes it more tender and has a better texture.
To do this, drizzle olive oil, salt, and lemon juice while rubbing the leaves together in your hands to break up the cellulose structure. That way, you’ll get a sweeter, more tender leaf.
Or, you can just cut it in thin, ribbons, as instructed in the recipe.
But always, always remove the ribs, whether you eat them raw or cook them.
The best part of a kale salad versus a green leaf salad is, that it doesn’t get soggy nearly as fast, which makes it a perfect salad to take to a dinner or party.
The black rice adds color, texture and a nutty flavor.
Throw in those pecans, cheese and pomegranates (another superfood) and toss the dressing all over it and have a party…in your mouth.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 6 | 15 mins |
| Cook Time |
| 90 mins |
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Don't just take an ordinary salad to Thanksgiving dinner, make this fabulous Kale salad with a pomegranate vinaigrette. Forget just Thanksgiving, this is my kind of salad all year round.
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- 3 red beets
- 3 golden beets
- 1 bunch curly kale or your favorite kind
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale or your favorite kind
- 1 C uncooked black rice
- 1 C water
- 1/4 C pomegranate seeds or the seeds of half a pomegranate
- 1/4-1/2 C pecans whole or chopped
- 1/4-1/2 C crumbled feta cheese you can leave this out if you want to stay Vegan
- 1 C pomegranate juice
- 1/3 C olive oil
- 3 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- dash black pepper
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees
- Clean and peel the beets and wrap each one individually in a sheet of foil. Roast for 80-90 minutes, or until tender. Cool, then cut into bite size wedges.
- While the beets are roasting, boil water in a medium sized pot and add rice. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Cool slightly.
- Chop kale into thin slices, put in a large bowl, add rice, beets, pomegranate seeds, cheese and pecans. Mix well. You can add the dressing and mix in, or wait until it is served.
- Add the olive oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper to the pomegranate juice. Whisk until blended. Makes 1 1/2 cups.
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