Roasted Beet & Kale Salad

This roasted been and kale salad has been a longtime favorite in my house! The beets and kale are paired with maple candied walnuts and goat cheese - when it's tossed all together it tastes so good you almost forget that you're eating kale! :) I am not crazy about kale! I love the nutrients it offers your body, but I don't love the way it tastes! This salad is my favorite way to eat kale!

My family uses the Endless Meals' recipe to make this salad. You can find the original recipe HERE.

Start by roasting 1.5 pounds of beets. To roast the beets, place the beets in a casserole dish and drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the beets. Toss the beets around in the oil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the beets with aluminum foil and put them in the oven for 30- 40 minutes. I recommend checking them after 30 minutes! The beets are ready once you can pierce a fork through them. While the beets are roasting you can work on the rest of the salad

*Note - you can roast the beets a couple days in advance!

Add 1 cup of halved walnuts to a frying pan over medium heat - you can increase the heat if you want this process to go faster but I recommend watching the walnuts closely and stirring them often! Let the walnuts cook until the are beginning to brown in some places. Once they are cooked pour 3 Tablespoons of maple syrup over the walnuts and stir continuously until the maple syrup has been absorbed by the walnuts (It should take about a minute for the maple syrup to be absorbed). Once the maple syrup has soaked into the walnuts, remove the frying pan from the heat and transfer the candied walnuts to a piece of parchment.

Prep 4 packed cups of curly kale, by washing it, drying it and tearing it into bite size pieces. Once prepped, transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl.

When the beets are out of the oven, let them sit for a bit for a while until they are cool enough to handle. Then, peel them and chop them into bite size pieces.

Add the chopped beets, the candied walnuts and 1/4 cup of goat cheese to the kale in the mixing bowl - we typically add a little more than 1/4 cup because too much cheese just isn't a concern in this house!

*Note - you could replace the cheese with avocado if you wanted this salad to be vegan! 

This picture is blurry because you have to whisk the dressing together fast - ha! But really I couldn't get a better picture! In a glass measuring dish, whisk 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard and one clove of minced garlic together. Once these first five ingredients are well combined, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a very thin stream while whisking constantly. It should take you about a minute to mix in the olive oil!

Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it all together! We typically keep the salad in a large mixing bowl because there is just so much of it! This salad keeps pretty well in the fridge so we can enjoy it in our lunches all week long!

ROASTED KALE & BEET SALAD

ingredients

1.5 lbs of beets, peeled and cut into bite size pieces
~1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
1 cup walnuts, halved
3 Tablespoons maple syrup
4 packed cups curly kale, washed and torn into bite size pieces
1/4 cup goat cheese (or avocado if you want this to be vegan!)

for the salad dressing
3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup extra virgin live oil

directions
1. Start by roasting the beets. To roast the beets, place them in a casserole dish and drizzle about a teaspoon of olive oil over the top. Toss the beets around in the oil. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover the beets with aluminum foil and put them in the oven for 30-40 minutes.  The beets are ready once you can pierce a fork through them. Set the beets aside to cool while you work on the rest of the salad!
2.  Add the walnuts to a frying pan over medium heat. Let the walnuts cook until the are beginning to brown in some places - stir them often while they are cooking. Once they are cooked pour the maple syrup over the walnuts and stir continuously until the maple syrup has been absorbed by the walnuts (It should take about a minute for the maple syrup to be absorbed). Once the maple syrup has soaked into the walnuts, remove the frying pan from the heat and transfer the candied walnuts to a piece of parchment.
3. Prepare the kale, by washing it, drying it and tearing it into bite size pieces. Once prepped, transfer the kale to a large mixing bowl.
4. When the beets have cooled enough for you to handle them, peel them and cut them into bite size pieces.
5. Add the chopped beets, the candied walnuts and 1/4 cup of goat cheese (or avocado!) to the kale in the mixing bowl.
6. For the dressing, whisk 3 Tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 2 Tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of dijon mustard and one clove of minced garlic together in a glass measuring dish. Once these first five ingredients are well combined, slowly pour in 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil in a very thin stream while whisking constantly. It should take you about a minute to mix in the olive oil!
7. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss it all together! Then, it is ready to serve!

Let me know if you have any questions!