Roasted Beet Kale Salad with Rosemary Honey Dijon Dressing
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 3 medium beets, peeled, cut into small ½-inch cubes (12-16 oz, about 4-5 cups)*
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 4 cups blended kale (about 1 bunch, stems removed)**
- 1 fennel bulb, halved, thinly sliced (about 2 cups)
- 1 cup crumbled feta or goat cheese
- 1 avocado, chopped
- ½ cup toasted pecans (or walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and/or pumpkin seeds)
For the dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1 tbsp fresh rosemary
- 1 tbsp honey
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- *The smaller you cut your beets, the crispier they will be and the quicker they will cook. I like to run my knife through my already cubed up beets to get smaller pieces.
- **Use a blender to finely chop your kale before making your dressing (use a tamper tool to help it blend until finely chopped). It makes the texture much more enjoyable to eat! Alternatively, you can chop very finely by hand.
- Add protein! ~ This salad would pair great with any cooked protein on top or on the side (see substitutions section for ideas).
Items you can prep ahead (optional)
- Peel and cut 3 medium beets into small ½-inch cubes (4-5 cups)
- Roast the beets
- Blend 4 cups worth of kale to finely chop
- Halve/thinly sliced 1 fennel bulb (about 2 cups)
- Toast ½ cup pecans (or walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, and/or pumpkin seeds
- Make the dressing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450F or 425F convection. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- To the baking sheet, add the beets, oil, and salt. Use your hands to toss until well coated. Spread into an evenly distributed layer. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the beets are cooked and crisped on the edges
- (See “optional” note below). In a high-speed blender, add all of the dressing ingredients and blend on high until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add the kale, fennel, beets, and ⅔ of the dressing. Toss to coat. Serve drizzled with remaining dressing and top with cheese, avocado, and nuts.
- Optional: to infuse more rosemary flavor into the dressing, add the olive oil and rosemary to a small pot or skillet over low heat and let it cook for 5 minutes (turn off the heat once the rosemary starts sizzling). Make sure it does not get too hot and start to smoke. Let cool for a bit, then add to the blender.
Notes
Substitutions:
- To make vegan, skip the cheese and use maple syrup in place of honey. Sub the yogurt with a vegan yogurt alternative or skip the yogurt and increase the oil and the apple cider vinegar to ⅓ cup and add a tablespoon of tahini to make it creamy.
- If you don’t like beets, roast an equal amount (4-5 cups) of a different vegetable.
- Fennel can be substituted with thinly sliced celery or grated carrot.
- Use any salad green in place of kale. Kale is great because it keeps well in the fridge/as leftovers, but you could use any salad green as long as you only dress what you will eat in that sitting.
- To add protein, top with any cooked protein (like a scoop of lentils, beans, leftover chicken, steak, or sausage, etc…Make the chicken and potatoes from this recipe or any other protein to serve alongside.
Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge:
- Salad: up to 5 days
- Dressing: up to 5 days
Leftovers + Repurposing:
- This salad should be eaten at room temp or just warm. Pop it in the microwave for 10-30 seconds to warm it up a bit/take the chill off. Top with dressing and toppings.
- Make the chicken and potatoes from this recipe to serve alongside.