This kale detox salad is a nourishing meal made with whole, real ingredients, featuring a carrot top pesto with roasted vegetables.
Post updated June 2024.
Another healthy, green recipe for January! Although, I feel like once it hits the second week, we all stop talking about our resolutions and whatnot. But I actually just wrote an article for MindBodyGreen about “detoxing” and what it really means. (Although please note that I am NOT a health professional, just a humble EMT! Always consult your doctor before starting any dietary changes!)
Detoxing was in vogue a few year ago, but now it’s kind of lost its steam as body positivity has come more into the light. Which I want to address – you can be body positive AND want to eat healthier. One does not preclude the other. And I am all for body positivity AND eating healthy. But it’s important to mention that TRUE detoxing happens in the body already – your body actually has a very efficient system for removing toxins. A juice cleanse is not a real detox. However, we CAN make it easier for our bodies by eating the nutrients it needs for these detoxifying processes to happen – i.e. foods that aid in digestion and elimination, foods that promote liver health, etc. But let me stress again that the foods are NOT the detox themselves – they’re just helping the body do what it already does.
Enter this kale detox salad. It’s the perfect balance between health and taste. I had to make this salad delicious, because what’s the point of eating it if it’s not delicious?! It has roasted potatoes and carrots, brown rice for fiber, chickpeas (of course), and lacinato kale – all topped with a deliciously green pesto. It’s tasty, AND good for you! I hope you love it!
P.S.
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Kale Detox Salad w/ Pesto
Ingredients
Carrot Top Pesto
- Tops of 1 Bunch Carrots
- 1/4 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 Tsp Salt
- 1/4 Tsp Pepper
- Juice from 1/2 a Lemon
Roasted Veg
- 1 Lb Fingerling Potatoes cut into rounds
- 3-4 Large Purple Carrots cut into rounds
- 1 15 oz Can Chickpeas drained and rinsed
- A Generous Drizzle of Olive Oil
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 1 Tsp Pepper
- 1 Tsp Dried Parsley
- 1 Tsp Dried Basil
- 1/2 Tsp Garlic Powder
- Few Sprinkles of Dried Thyme
The Rest of the Salad
- A Few Handfuls Lacinato Kale Sliced Thin
- 1 Cup Cooked Brown Rice
- Sliced Jalapeño if desired
- Sesame Seeds if desired
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Prep vegetables – wash and dry carrots and potatoes. Cut both into rounds (disks), about 1/4 inch thick.
- In a bowl, combine chopped potatoes, carrots, and chickpeas. Add in olive oil and spices, and mix well until everything is evenly coated.
- On a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, bake vegetables + chickpeas for 45-50 minutes. When they’re done cooking, remove from oven and let cool.
- While vegetables are cooking, make pesto – combine all ingredients into a food processor and process on high until a slightly smooth pesto is formed.
- In a bowl, mix thinly sliced lacinato kale and pesto until kale is evenly covered. Then, add in roasted vegetables + chickpeas and brown rice. Mix well until everything is evenly combined.
- Serve in bowls and top with sesame seeds.
- Enjoy!
Notes
Quote of the Day:
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken.
– Oscar Wilde
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