Kale Salad with Roasted Beets and Orange Vinaigrette

Nutrient-packed and delicious, this kale salad with beets combines earthy greens with bright, sweet flavors and contrasting textures. Curly kale is paired with tender beets, chewy dried cranberries, creamy goat cheese and crunchy raw pumpkin seeds, all tossed in a zesty homemade orange and shallot vinaigrette. Fresh, colorful and vegetarian, this salad is easy to customize and perfect as a side or a light main.

This is a picture of kale salad with beets.

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Why You’ll Love This Recipe

A true superfood salad: Kale delivers Vitamin A, K and C plus folate; beets add fiber and anti-inflammatory benefits; pumpkin seeds bring iron, zinc and magnesium. It’s nourishing as well as tasty.
Lots of flavor and texture: The earthiness of kale and beets is balanced by the sweetness of cranberries, the creaminess of goat cheese and the crunch of pumpkin seeds. The bright orange-shallot vinaigrette ties everything together.
Versatile and attractive: This salad works for meal prep, as a holiday or gathering side, or as a main when you add protein.
Easy to customize: Add grilled chicken, chickpeas, walnuts or pecans — or swap ingredients to suit your taste.

Key Ingredients

Curly kale: Curly kale was used here, but Lacinato (Tuscan), dinosaur or baby kale all work. A mix of green and red kale creates a pretty presentation.
Beets: You can roast or steam fresh beets, but pre-packaged steamed beets are a convenient option.
Goat cheese: Creamy goat cheese pairs beautifully with beets and softens the texture of the salad.
Dried cranberries: Add a touch of sweet-tart flavor that complements the earthy notes.
Raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas): For crunch; swap for nuts if preferred.
Fresh orange: Use the zest and juice to make the bright vinaigrette.

This is a picture of all the ingredients used to make this kale salad.

How To Prepare Kale

Remove the thick central stem by cutting along it with a knife or tearing the leaves free with your hands. A stem-stripping tool can speed this up if you have one.
Chop the leaves to bite-sized pieces.
Wash thoroughly under cold water to remove grit, then dry well. A salad spinner is ideal, followed by a quick pat with paper towels.
Massage the kale: put the leaves in a large bowl, add a small drizzle of olive or avocado oil and rub the leaves with your hands for about 2 minutes. The kale will soften and become less chewy — taste a leaf to check tenderness.

This is a picture of a plate with the kale and beet salad with goat cheese and pumpkin seeds and a little bowl with the orange vinaigrette.

How To Make This Kale With Beets Salad

Wash, dry and massage the kale as described above.
Chop cooked beets into bite-sized pieces.
Wash an orange, zest about 1 teaspoon and squeeze enough juice to yield 2 tablespoons for the dressing.
Whisk together the vinaigrette ingredients: avocado or olive oil, orange juice and zest, white wine vinegar, finely chopped shallot, honey, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.
Gently combine the kale, beets, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries and crumbled goat cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Toss with the orange-shallot vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Picture of kale in a large bowl being massaged.

Prepare the kale, and then massage it to tenderize.

This is the picture of an orange being juiced and zested.

Zest and juice an orange for a fresh vinaigrette.

This is a picture of a cup with the orange vinaigrette and a whisk.

Whisk the vinaigrette until smooth and well combined.

This is a picture of a bowl with the kale salad being tossed.

Toss all ingredients together with the dressing and enjoy.

More Delicious Salads To Try

Mediterranean Cucumber Salad
Quinoa Arugula Salad
Hearts of Palm Salad with Shallot Vinaigrette
Tuna and Bean Salad with Corn and Avocado

Tips and Frequently Asked Questions

Massage the kale: Massaging softens the leaves and makes them much more enjoyable to eat.
Meal prep: Store the dressing separately if preparing in advance to prevent soggy leaves. Dressed kale salads can keep well for a couple of days, but tossing just before serving preserves texture.
Different kale types: Feel free to use Lacinato (Tuscan), dinosaur or baby kale — choose what you prefer.

This is a close up picture of the kale salad.

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This is a square picture of kale with beets salad.

Kale Salad with Beets

Priscilla Lawrence

Nutrient-packed and delicious, this kale salad with beets is earthy, full of flavors and textures. Curly kale paired with sweet beets and dried cranberries, creamy goat cheese and crunchy raw pumpkin seeds tossed in a zesty homemade orange and shallot vinaigrette. Fresh, beautiful and vegetarian.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 20

Total Time 20

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 263 kcal

Equipment

large bowl
salad spinner
zester or cheese grater
orange juicer
small bowl
whisk
kale stripping tool (optional)

Ingredients

1 bunch curly kale (about 5–6 cups)
1 drizzle avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup cooked beets, chopped (about 8 ounces)
⅓ cup crumbled goat cheese
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
¼ cup dried cranberries (regular or reduced sugar)
Salt and black pepper to taste

For the Shallot Orange Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1 teaspoon orange zest
1½ tablespoons white wine vinegar (or champagne vinegar)
1½ tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
Pinch of salt and black pepper

Instructions

Prepare the kale: remove the thick central stem, chop the leaves, wash thoroughly and dry in a salad spinner.
Place the kale in a large bowl, drizzle a small amount of oil and massage with your hands for about 2 minutes until tender.
Zest the orange to obtain about 1 teaspoon of zest, then juice it and reserve 2 tablespoons for the dressing.
Whisk all vinaigrette ingredients together until smooth.
Combine the massaged kale, chopped beets, goat cheese, pumpkin seeds and dried cranberries. Season and toss with the vinaigrette. Serve immediately.

Notes

Kale: See the preparation steps above for best results.
Vinegar swap: White wine vinegar can be replaced with champagne vinegar for a slightly different bright profile.

*Nutrition values are approximate per serving based on the listed ingredients and may vary with substitutions or portion sizes.

Nutrition

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Picture of Priscilla Lawrence owner of Sprinkled with Balance.

About Priscilla Lawrence

Hi there, I’m Priscilla Lawrence. I share approachable, nutrient-rich recipes that are flavorful and simple to prepare. Based in California and raised in France, I’m a mom, former certified nutritionist, recipe developer and food photographer.

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