This Detox Kale Salad packs a huge nutritional punch with beets, kale, cabbage, and other detoxifying agents like lemon, ginger, and cilantro, all joined together by an incredible sunbutter dressing!
Best Kale Salad Recipe for Detoxification
Y’all, this salad is delicious. Even better, it’s a great way to help clean and heal your gut. It’s raw, vegan, easy, and super delicious. Why worry about a detox salad, though?
Well, you know that feeling you get after an indulgent night/week/year? Your belly feels swollen and you can’t shake a headache? Maybe BMs have been irregular or you keep breaking out. The reasons to start a detox can be many, but the solution is so simple.
First, make sure you’re drinking enough water. THEN, eat lots of colorful vegetables, reduce or eliminate all grains/dairy/legumes, significantly reduce sugar intake, chew, enjoy your now healthier food, and (as if by magic) you’ll start feeling better.
What does it mean to detox?
To detox is to eliminate (as best you can) toxins from your body so that it can run optimally. This salad really just enhances your body’s ability to detox (because it was made to do that all on its own – no supplements required!).
Detox Salad Ingredients
- Beets – what an incredible food. Beets are great roasted or raw. They’re known for being anti-inflammatory, anti-carcinogen, and liver cleansing. They’ve been used to treat anemia, promote menstruation, and alleviate constipation.
- Cabbage – whoa. Talk about powerful foods. Cabbage is known for having the highest concentration of the most effective anticancer properties of all vegetables. Them big words. All members of the cabbage family have a huge amount of Vitamin C (even more than an orange), B6, and biotin (metabolism booster). I chose green cabbage for this salad for the color difference. Savoy or purple cabbage would work great as well. Chop and shred as finely as you can.
- Kale – are you tired of hearing about how great kale is? I feel your pain, so bare with me. KALE is actually a cruciferous vegetable just like cabbage! It’s extremely rich in carotenes (an antioxidant that enhances immune function), Vitamin C, B6, and manganese (important for blood sugar control, energy metabolism, and thyroid function). Unless you have a thing for chewing on twigs, I recommend you remove the kale stems. What’s the easiest way? Grab the stem and run your fingers up the spine. The leaves will peel right off.
- Cilantro – I friggin love cilantro. If you’re a cilantro hater because you fall into the group of people who have a genetic distaste for the stuff (meaning, it’s not your fault), feel free to use parsley. Cilantro has been known to help with anxiety and aid in the conversion of cholesterol to bile in the liver. In other words, it’s good for ya. Chop up as much as you like (I used about 1/2 cup).
- Lemons – now for the dressing. My dressing starts with lemons! We’re going to use two parts of the lemon: the juice and the outer peel. My goodness lemons are good for you. Lemon juice has a cooling effect on the body. It supports liver function, aids in mineral absorption, and has been used to treat high blood pressure. Lemons are known to aid in weight loss and help alleviate gas (which may be important considering all the raw cruciferous veggies in this Paleo detox salad). The essential oils found in the lemon peel are useful for combating anxiety, digestive problems, high blood pressure, and a sore throat. Zest the lemons before you cut and juice – just a suggestion. We’ll add the zest at the very end as a finishing touch.
- Sunbutter – have you heard of this stuff? It’s seriously tasty. I make mine at home. I just take about ½ cup of sunflower seeds, throw them in the food processor for about 5 minutes, and poof! Sunbutter is born! Sunflower seeds are a great source of protein, unsaturated fat, calcium, iron, and vitamin E. They’ve been known to aid in dental health, treat constipation, and reduce inflammation.
- Ginger – the all-mighty ginger root. I’m sure you’re no stranger to the fact that ginger is really, ridiculously good for you. Let’s briefly discuss the specifics. It is known to relieve gas, have a direct impact on inhibiting inflammatory compounds, and stimulates digestion. It has a powerful anti-nausea effect and has been used to relieve arthritis pain. Peel about 1” of fresh ginger and then grate with a microplane.
- Apple Cider Vinegar – the last ingredient in our creamy detox dressing is apple cider vinegar. Bragg’s Raw Unfiltered Apple Cider Vinegar is the way to go, folks. Vinegar has its own tremendously effective detoxifying properties: it aids in digestion, has warming characteristics, and supports liver function.
Which kale is best for a kale detox salad?
Any kale will work, but I used lacinato (also known as “dino”) kale here.
How to Prepare Kale for Salad
To prepare your kale for this salad, simply grab the stem and run your fingers up the spine. This will cause the leaves to peel right off the stem. So easy! From there, shred!
How do you make kale less bitter for salad?
Finely shred your kale so that it mixes in with the other ingredients and gets a nice coating of dressing. This will help to disguise some of the bitterness!
How to Make Kale Salad
- Combine the beets, finely chopped green cabbage, shredded kale, and finely chopped cilantro in a large bowl.
- Make the salad dressing by combining the lemon juice, sunbutter, ginger, and ACV in a food processor or blender and blending until smooth. When it’s done, it’ll have a smooth, creamy, frothy consistency.
- Add the dressing to the bowl with the salad ingredients and toss until fully coated.
- Garnish with the lemon zest and enjoy!
Do you massage the kale?
No need to massage the kale in this recipe unless you want to!
Is it better to eat cooked or raw kale?
Both cooked and raw kale are incredibly powerful and beneficial for your overall health. There truly isn’t one that’s better than the other. It is recommended to include a bit of both in your diet!
What goes best with a chopped kale salad?
Serve your chopped kale salad with a simple protein (sous vide chicken or sous vide salmon would be excellent here) to make it a full meal. It can also be enjoyed as a side salad alongside any meal you love!
Can this simple kale salad be made ahead?
Absolutely! Feel free to make your kale salad ahead of time. To be quite honest, this salad is hearty enough to be dressed ahead of time (nothing will get too soggy) too. If you want to keep the dressing on the side, though, that’s fine too!
How long does shredded kale salad last in fridge?
Stored together (the salad and dressing), your salad will last for up to 4 days. Stored separately, it’ll last for up to week!
Just for You
Salad Recipes
Want more recipe ideas like this?
Detox Kale Salad
Ingredients
Detox Salad:
- 3 large beets peeled and shredded (makes 2-3 cups)
- 1/2 head green cabbage finely chopped (makes about 2 cups)
- 1 bunch dinosaur kale de-stemmed and shredded (makes about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro finely chopped
- zest of 1 lemon ~1 Tbl
Detox Salad Dressing (double recipe for heavier dressing):
- 2 lemons juiced (~4 Tbl)
- 1/3 cup sunbutter directions below
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger grated
- 4 tablespoon raw unfiltered apple cider vinegar
Instructions
Detox Salad
- Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Detox Salad Dressing
- Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend for 1-2 minutes, or until smooth and creamy.
- Note: to make sunbutter, place ½ cup sunflower seeds in a food processor for ~5 minutes, or until “buttered.”
Plate
- Toss the salad ingredients with the dressing. Plate and top off with a generous sprinkling of the fresh lemon zest.
Nutrition
Like this recipe?
Leave a commentSources:
Murray, M. (2005). The Encyclopedia of Healing Food. New York, NY: Atria Books.
Wood, R. (2010). The New Whole Foods Encyclopedia. New York, NY: Penguine Group (USA)
Delish! I live it!! I was out of sunflower seeds so I used my homemade almond feta (almonds & lemon juice). Can’t wait to try it with the Sunflower Butter.
Wow. This salad is heavenly! When I came across this recipe I think it looked “meh” but I went with it because of all the healthy goodness. But seriously, if all raw, vegan meals are as delicious as this salad, I’m going to become a raw vegan….and that is coming from someone who LOVES meat!
I’ve made this recipe twice. It’s very refreshing. Like any typical cook, I cannot follow a recipe to a T and have to make my own personal tweaks. I like things tangy and spicy.
The latest rendition (made 08/17/2017) follows as such:
DRESSING: Reduced the sunflower butter; upped the lemon and vinegar; added jalapeno; more cilantro; use more ginger than required; and added Himalayan salt (eyeballed and to taste).
SALAD: Swapped lacinato “dinosaur” kale for collard greens. Collards are sturdy like the kale and stand up nice as far as texture and flavor. The salad was massaged and ingredients tossed ingredients by hand. *
Recipe breakdown:
16 oz(s), Cabbage Green
13.02 ounce, Beet
5.90 ounce, Collard greens
1.60 ounce, Cilantro
0.60 oz(s),Jalapeno pepper
38 grams (2tbsp), Sunflower Seed Butter
1.24 ounce, Ginger Root, Raw
4.5 tbsp, Fresh Squeezed
4.5 tablespoon, Apple Cider Vinegar
This recipe was logged into an online tool to come up with the nutrition. According to it (accuracy is questionable but probably not too far off) the proportions of the recipe above come out to 615kcals: 88 grams carbohydrate/21 grams fat/25 grams protein.
Essentially, you could sit and eat the entire bowl and have a really great well rounded meal. It filled an extra large stainless steel mixing bowl (If I could add a picture here I would). I am not sure my stomach could handle that volume, but perhaps over the course of 3 hours! If you can do this, go for it! Vegetable-eating contest anyone?
How many people can this feed? Depends on serving size, but by just eyeballing the bowl approx 8 – 12 as happy-single servings. My first batch fed me approx 8 servings, about 5 meals because I have a healthy appetite for such vegetable filled dishes.
How it ended up being eaten:
1) On it’s own.
2) Mixed with tuna, salmon, or chicken. I used both fresh and canned fishes and fresh poached chicken. On top of a bed of arugula.**
3) On top of burgers (with and with out cheese)
4) Mixed with chickpeas
5) Accompanying eggs
6) Mixed in eggs
7) Stuffed in sweet potato
8) Sharing… a bite.
* On collards: Of the more bitter greens, I adore collards and personally find them to be sweeter than kale. Especially when cooked or when cellulose structure is broken down (such as the massaging process).
** As I did some version of protein + recipe several times, tweaks happened. I have drizzled coconut aminos, maple syrup, and added a few sweet dried fruits for balance. I have also added pumpkin seeds (sprouted), hemp seeds, other nut or seed for crunch. More jalapeno.
Enjoy!
Yum! That sounds great and love the ideas for how to use it up!
I made this last night and it was amazing! I actually put too much ginger in so I added more apple cider vinegar and a clove of garlic. I recommend the garlic- great twist! Thanks for recipe!
Garlic is a great addition! Thanks for trying the recipe and your kind words 🙂
As an organic vegetable farmer I am looking for new ways of using up my harvest that I don’t sell at market. This salad looks great! How important is the sun butter? My husband is allergic to seeds! Can I leave it out or substitute it?
What a cool job! You could try almond butter or another nut butter if your husband can have nuts.
Thank you for creating this! I’ve made it 3 times already. I used Meyer lemons recently and it’s came out amazing.
Using Meyer lemons sounds delicious, thanks for trying it Sara!
I LOVE this detox salad! I had it all to myself and ate it for days. Delicious!! Thanks for the creation!
Love having leftovers for quick meals during the week! Glad you liked it, thanks for trying it Brooke!
Are the sunflower seeds raw??
AMAZING! I did it without a food processor so it took me a while to chop everything up. However, all the hard work was well worth it. It is so delicious! I will defiantly be making this again. Thanks
This looks fantastic. On a side note, the kale and slaw can be done in the processor as well, with the slicing blade, and the ginger can go into a blender with the lemon juice and vinegar, sliced across the grain thinly (so you don’t get strings) and doesn’t actually need to be peeled – in fact, the peel has loads of flavor and nutrients. This makes it go much faster.
PS, the word you meant to use was “effect” and “effective” unless vegetables cause you to become very emotional…which is possible…
Thank you, Jeannie! I changed everything to “effect” 🙂
I made this last night and liked it…I didn’t love the dressing though. It was a little too tart for me. Any suggestions on a substitution?
Totally! I recommend using half the amount of vinegar and lemon juice and substituting with water. If that doesn’t cut it, you could also add 1 Tbl of maple syrup to counter the tart. Hope that helps!
When I saw this salad I really wanted to make it right away. I didn’t have the beets, so I used a carrot. Loved the freshness of this and the flavors. Thanks!
I have just discovered your site and so glad I did. You recipes are so easy to follow, your visuals are big bright and colourful and I can’t wait to get started. Thank you for such yummy whole foods our bodies need.
I made this salad for a potluck, where it was a big winner despite its penetential name! I added roasted chickpeas and craisins because, Im not detoxing and 2, I am THAT girl. Thank you. Was very delicious!
I have been looking forward to making this for awhile! Finally got my act together tonight and made it! I didn’t have enough sunbutter left so I added some olive oil as well and extra ginger. It took a couple of bites, but I love stuff!!! Thanks for the recipe!!!
Awesome! I’m so glad you liked it 🙂