Description
This beautiful roasted beet salad is full of flavour, texture and nutrition. It’s vegan and gluten-free and high in fibre and nutrients making it just as healthy as it is delicious.
Ingredients
For the Marinated Chickpeas
- 1 19 oz can of chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 2 tbsp olive oi
- 3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- optional: 1/4 tsp chili flakes
For the Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 1/2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
For the Salad
- 4 medium-sized beets (1 per serving)
- 8 small to medium carrots (2 per serving)
- 6 cups de-stemmed and finely chopped fresh kale (1–2 handfuls per salad)
- 1 cup fresh, frozen and thawed or canned corn (1/4 cup per salad)
- 4–8 tbsp raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds, 1–2 tbsp per salad)
Instructions
- Start with the marinated chickpeas. They need to sit for a minimum of 1 hour but can be left up to overnight or even a few days. To make them, place all the ingredients in a bowl or container, mix well, cover and place in the fridge.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F. Give the beets and carrots a quick wash and scrub (leave skins on) then rub each with a few drops of olive or avocado oil. Wrap each beet in foil and place on a parchment-paper lined baking tray. Place the carrots on the baking tray as well and sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
- Roast the carrots until they’re very tender and starting to bubble and brown, about 30-40 minutes, depending on size. Once roasted, either chop them up or serve whole on top of your salad. I like leaving them whole as they’re so tender you can easily chop with a fork while eating your salad.
- Roast the beets for 40-60 minutes, depending on size, until you can easily pierce them with a fork. Once tender, remove from the oven, open the foil and let them cool until you can handle them, about 15-20 minutes. Once they’ve cooled down, you can peel the skin off, cut off the ends and chop them for the salad.
- While the carrots and beets are roasting, make the balsamic vinaigrette by whisking or shaking the ingredients together until combined. Be sure to mix it again before adding to your salad as the oil may separate.
- Remove the kale leaves from the thick stems and chop it into small pieces. Add to a large mixing bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice and a few drops of olive or avocado oil, or add a small amount of the balsamic dressing. Massage the kale with your hands hands for 1-2 minutes. Massaging the kale is optional but helps to soften it and improve the taste. I prefer it to be massaged before using in the salad. Divide the kale between 4 bowls, plates or food storage containers.
- Divide the chopped beets, carrots, corn, marinated chickpeas and pepitas between the 4 portions.
- Top each salad with equal amounts of the balsamic vinaigrette.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
I roasted the corn for this salad and while it’s totally optional, it added a nice layer of texture and flavour and really brought out the sweetness of the corn. To make the roasted corn, just add the corn kernels to a lined baking sheet, add some spices like chili powder, sea salt, cumin and paprika and roast at 400 F until it’s starting to crisp and blacken a bit, about 10 minutes.
You’ll need about 15 minutes of hands-on prep time and 15-20 minutes to allow the beets to cool enough to peel them. The other option is to peel the beets before roasting, so once roasted you can just slice and add to the salad right away.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1
- Calories: 350
- Fat: 15 g
- Carbohydrates: 43 g
- Fiber: 12 g
- Protein: 15 g