This kale detox salad is super nourishing without skimping on flavor. You’ll love the combo of crunchy raw vegetables,ย marinated mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts tossed inย a light balsamic dressing.
Have you ever felt like you needed to detox? I usually feel like I need one most after a vacation or a weekend that’s full of indulgences — like wine with the girls on Friday night, date night that includes a decadent dinner on Saturday and a day full of snacking on Sunday.
Feeling this way makes total sense because alcohol, high sugar foods and processed junkย can slow down or hinder our digestive systems. Of course our bodies have their own natural detoxification system but sometimes it doesn’t hurt to get back to the basics and help your body with the cleansingย process. That’s my goal for the next couple weeks.
This kale detox salad is a great place to start because it’s packed full of delicious foods that contain vital nutrients and are perfect for cleansing. <– It has at least seven of the 14 liver cleanse foods listed in this article.
And it’s tasty too! The roasted Brussels sprouts and marinated mushrooms add dynamic flavors as well as texture variety so the salad is really satisfying and can easily be enjoyed as a meal.
Just be mindful that a couple of the ingredients can be prepped ahead of timeย — like marinating the mushrooms and roasting the sprouts. These things do take a bit of time so it might be easier to do them the day/night before and keep the veggies in the fridge until you’re ready to prepare the salad. That’s what I did and it worked out great because the veggies were already cool. That said, adding warm brussels sprouts to the salad is delicious as well!
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This kale detox salad is loaded with crunchy raw vegetables, marinated mushrooms and roasted Brussels sprouts toss in an easy balsamic dressing.ย
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and chopped into bite size pieces
- 4 ounces baby mixed greens, spinach or 4 additional ounces of kale
- 1 cup chopped red cabbage
- 2 carrots, peeled and cut into thin ribbons with a vegetable peeler or spiralized
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- 4 small (or 2 large) portobello caps, sliced
- 1/2 red bell pepper, chopped or sliced
- 1 bunch Brussels sprouts, ends trimmed and quartered
- 2–3 teaspoons olive or avocado oil
- 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
- 1 avocado, sliced
Balsamic Dressing:
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- Marinate the mushrooms: simply whisk togetherย all ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and place mushrooms into the bowl to marinate. Stir occasionally (or shake if you’re using a sealable container) to make sure all the pieces are getting coated in the dressing. The mushrooms should marinate anywhere from 1 hour to overnight.
- Roast the sprouts: Preheat oven to 375ยฐ. Toss chopped brussels sprouts in 2-3 teaspoons of oil and sprinkle on a little salt and pepper. Add to a baking sheet and roast for 40-45ย minutes (tossing occasionally) or until brussels sprouts are tender and brown.
- After marinating the mushrooms, add the mushrooms and remaining dressing into a large bowl with all the rest of the salad ingredients.
- Mix everything together. A large tupperware container works great for this because you can put the lid on it and shake all the ingredients to mix them up, but if you don’t have one, stirring everything together in a big salad bowl with a spoon will work.
- You can let the salad marinate a bit more before serving (this will help to soften the kale a bit) or you can serve immediately. To serve, place salad portion on a plate or bowl and top with an extra slice of avocado and a sprinkle ofย sunflower seeds.
- Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days. You should be able to get at least 2-3 large salads out of it.
Nutrition
- Calories: 484kcal
- Sugar: 21g
- Sodium: 464mg
- Fat: 26g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 55g
- Fiber: 18g
- Protein: 16g
- Cholesterol: 0
PS- You don’t have to be in need of a detox to enjoy this salad! It’s a great salad to add to your everyday routine.
Shannon says
January 25, 2013 at 6:56 amThis salad looks absolutely deliscious! I always wondered how people eat raw portabellos…duh, marinate them! I will absolutely be trying this recipe. Thank you for sharing.
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 6:12 pmNo problem. I hope you like it Shannon.
Gwen says
December 29, 2014 at 8:01 pmI heard that Kale and carrots do not release their vitamins etc unless lightly cooked, so I will lightly bake them as well as the other veggies.
Fit Missy says
January 25, 2013 at 6:57 amThis looks so good. Just put it in my Evernote to make it later.
Thanks for sharing.
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 6:13 pmYay! Let me know what you think. ๐
Liz @ iheartvegetables says
January 25, 2013 at 7:56 amThis salad sounds so good!!! I hope the detox is going well! I can’t wait to hear your final results ๐
Shel@PeachyPalate says
January 25, 2013 at 8:18 amGorgeous salad! If I’ve been away for a day or two I tend to feel a little sluggish due to being out of routine and eating foods I wouldn’t normally but a day of eats with salads just like this and lighter refreshing food and I’m back to my old self no time ๐ Happy Friday!
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 9:36 pmTotally agree!
NYC Fit GIrl says
January 25, 2013 at 8:22 amSalad looks great! I think I need a detox! I am thinking of doing the 7DSD next week ๐
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 9:36 pmNice! The 7 Day Slim Down is definitely a good detox option.
★★★★★
Carla says
November 28, 2017 at 9:18 amWhat is 7 day slim down?
Brittany Mullins says
November 28, 2017 at 9:41 amIt’s a 7 day program offered through Tone It Up.
Becky @ Olives n Wine says
January 25, 2013 at 9:22 amWhat a gorgeous and healthy salad! I’m excited to hear more about your cleanse over the next few weeks ๐
Lauren @ muchadoaboutsomethin.blogspot.com says
January 25, 2013 at 9:40 amThat salad is BEAUTIFUL! Mmmmm
Lauren says
January 25, 2013 at 10:37 amI saw this on my FB feed this morning the moment I woke up and wanted to jump out of bed and start roasting mushrooms. Oh heavens this looks outstanding!!!
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 9:39 pmThanks lady!
Rachel says
January 25, 2013 at 1:36 pmomg this sounds delicious! You always have the best food combinations ๐
Sara @ fitcupcaker says
January 25, 2013 at 2:26 pmlooks delicious!
Jill says
January 25, 2013 at 3:02 pmI was thinking about beets on a salad and wanting to try brussel sprouts so this kills two birds with one stone! How long do you roast the beets and brussel sprouts?
Brittany Mullins says
January 25, 2013 at 5:53 pmI use this recipe for the brussels http://www.eatingbirdfood.com/2012/11/roasted-brussels-sprouts-with-a-apple-cider-vinegar-sauce/
And here’s a guide for roasting beets: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-roast-beets-in-the-oven-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-172827
Hope this helps!
★★★★★
Nat @ The Apple Diaries says
January 25, 2013 at 8:28 pmHi Brittany! I always love your creative salad recipes ๐ I did my own 7 day detox too after the Christmas break and felt so much better afterwards. Your body really does thank you for it! I’m like you though, sometimes I like to detox every now and then after a night out with my girlfriends or if I’ve been travelling and haven’t been 100% on my best eating behaviour. I checked out the conscious cleanse and will definitely give it a go next time I need a detox.
Thanks again!
Marianne says
January 25, 2013 at 10:55 pmI just had a really excellent raw kale salad last night, and I’m thinking I might want to experiment with them on my own. I like the combination of ingredients in this salad, and how it’s hearty enough to make ahead of time and have on hand for lunches, etc. I think I could even give marinated mushrooms a go – not really a fan of them raw, but they do sound good with that dressing.
Tara | Treble in the Kitchen says
January 26, 2013 at 7:04 amI am anxious to hear more about your cleanse. I find the whole idea fascinating, but I have never done one myself because so many “cleanses” require you to take a million and one supplements. I am a real food kind of girl ๐ This salad looks delish, and I am especially intrigued by the dressing. Yum, and thanks for sharing!
Alex says
January 26, 2013 at 9:52 pmWould love to hear more about this cleanse! I’ve been looking for a whole foods cleanse to try out and this one sounds like it could be perfect!
jeannie says
January 27, 2013 at 9:05 amlove it!!!!! thank you so much for this recipe…..your ausome!!!!!
Lauren @ vegology says
January 27, 2013 at 10:52 amWow, this salad looks amazing! I love all the color! Will definitely be trying this soon.
emma says
January 28, 2013 at 6:59 amwow! now that’s what i call a salad! ๐ delicious!
Alissa N says
January 28, 2013 at 2:36 pmYum!! This has all of my favorite ingredients in one salad, it doesn’t get better than that!!! Delicious!!
holly says
January 30, 2013 at 8:02 pmthis looks AMAZING! i WILL be making this.
Therapeutic Wholefoods says
January 30, 2013 at 11:02 pmWow this salad looks amazing!, definately going to try this soon, pity its hard to buy kale in Australia! will have to hunt around for it ๐
★★★★
Gwen says
May 6, 2013 at 8:07 pmI have been meaning to make this salad for some time, and tonight I finally did! It was delicious! My family said “I am full in a good way” ๐
★★★★★
Brittany Mullins says
May 6, 2013 at 8:25 pmYay! So glad you that were able to make it today and enjoyed it. ๐
Alina says
October 7, 2013 at 10:33 pmThis looks great! I just made four servings for this week’s lunches, and I’m looking forward to trying it.
Rebekah Wilson says
March 30, 2014 at 3:01 pmI just made this for my family and it was delish! Had it for dinner with roasted sweet potatoe wedges. Yummy !
Thanks for a great recรจpe to add to my book ๐
★★★★★
Brittany Mullins says
March 30, 2014 at 3:04 pmSo glad to hear that you liked it Rebekah. ๐
Kathleen says
November 19, 2015 at 4:04 pmHi I’ve been trying to sign up for your emails but can’t get it to submit. Just discovered your site and great info and recipes. Please advise what the 7 Day Detox is and how I can get signed up. Thanks
MJ says
May 28, 2016 at 11:00 amLooks delicious. Would like more recipes.
Juliette | Namastay Traveling says
May 22, 2017 at 12:48 pmI was at wedding this weekend in New York which meant non stop bagels and goodies. This is hte perfect meal to get me back on track! It’s *almost* too beautiful to eat ๐
jordan @ dancing for donuts says
May 22, 2017 at 1:58 pmi’ve been so in love with mushrooms lately, but haven’t tried marinating them yet! this salad has so many incredible flavors, i can’t wait to try it!
Emily @ Pizza and Pull-ups says
May 22, 2017 at 2:48 pmWhat a beautiful looking salad!
Brittany Mullins says
May 22, 2017 at 3:01 pmThanks Em!!
Shelby Taussig says
May 22, 2017 at 3:48 pmThis looks delicious! I totally feel the urge to have “detoxifying” meals on Monday evenings after indulging on the weekend. This recipe looks filling and so so tasty. I will definitely be putting this together soon. I also created a detox meal that you could check out here – https://chooseloveoverlikes.com/2017/05/15/salmon-detox-bowl/.
Thank you for your beautiful recipes! <3
Ashley Diana says
May 24, 2017 at 6:07 pmOMG this looks insane! Probably the healthiest recipe I’ve seen in a while but it looks so delicious! Way to make those hard to eat veggies into an amazing meal! Thanks ????
Brittany Mullins says
May 24, 2017 at 6:46 pmAwww. Thanks Ashley. I hope you get a chance to try this! ๐
Izzy Bruning says
May 24, 2017 at 6:28 pmThis looks so yummy!
Izzy | Pinch of delight
Brittany Mullins says
May 24, 2017 at 6:45 pmThanks Izzy!! It’s so good!
Becky @ abeaslife says
May 26, 2017 at 10:58 pmWow, this kale salad looks killer! You did such an amazing job at plating it too!
Super impressed.
Thanks for the awesome recipe.
Jennifer Flood says
June 28, 2017 at 12:17 pmI just finished making this! It made a HUGE batch of salad, so I am really looking forward to eating this over the next few days!
Brittany Mullins says
June 28, 2017 at 8:12 pmYay! Enjoy, Jenni!
Nancy Flaherty says
March 17, 2018 at 5:16 amThe nutrition info indicates the salad has 21 g of sugar. I see there is maple syrup in the dressing and carrots in the salad, what else is contributing to the sugar content? 21g seems high.