This simple keto kale salad with pomegranate is a healthy vegan salad that can be a quick healthy lunch recipe. It has homemade beet chips and an easy tahini dressing. Serve it warm because it tastes so much better.
Purple kale is not just eye candy!
It’s packed with nutrition and other good-for-me-and-you ingredients.
Purple kale is the Ryan Reynolds of the vegetable world. It has beauty AND brawn!
Tips for making this salad
- I usually find purple kale at Whole Foods and health food stores. If you can’t find purple kale, use regular curly kale.
- The total cooking time of this recipe is 22 minutes which is how long the beet chips take to make. While the beet chips are in the air fryer, prepare the rest of the salad. You will have the kale salad prepared minutes before the beets are done.
- You can make this vegetarian keto by adding feta cheese. If you want to keep it vegan, use my vegan feta recipe.
- If you want to use this salad in meal prep, make the salad as listed below. But, don’t add the dressing until you are ready to eat it.
- In the salad dressing, I use spicy brown mustard. Be sure to look at the ingredients of your mustard. Some spicy brown mustards are not keto/vegan friendly. I used Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard which is keto/vegan and they use organic ingredients.
- Use a tahini that doesn’t have any sugars or artificial ingredients. Better yet, make your own tahini at home. I make a big batch of the dressing and use it in different recipes.
Massaging kale or heating it?
The secret is to make the tough, fibrous tissues of the kale easy to break down. To do that you have to either:
1. Massage kale
Massaging kale is exactly as it sounds. You can take that statement literally.
Put roughly chopped kale in a bowl and add oil. I add about 1 tsp of oil to 1 cup of kale. There is no formula, per se. Just eyeball it and make sure there is enough oil to lightly coat all the kale.
Then use all 10 of your fingers, your palms, and some elbow grease and massage all the kale in the bowl. Think of it as kneading soft dough. You won’t need to use too much pressure.
I normally set a 1-minute timer on my phone. It will easily soften up in that one minute of massaging.
That’s it! This massaged kale is now ready to be eaten without fear of it exiting immediately.
2. Heating kale
Purple kale or curly kale can be heated to help loosen the fibrous bonds of kale and make it more edible.
However, there is such a thing as a sweet spot.
It can’t be overcooked or undercooked. I found that kale’s sweet heating spot is 2 minutes on low heat.
So, rejoice, because kale is now edible AND delicious. Make this kale salad with pomegranate and enjoy a delicious taste feast.
Why I love purple kale
If I have a choice between purple kale and regular kale, I am always going to make a beeline for the purple version.
It makes any recipe look delicious and adds much-needed color to a dull recipe. In my experience, it’s also easier to work with unlike curly kale.
But, the biggest thing about purple kale are it’s nutritional benefits. The anthocyanins are what cause the leaves to look purple. They are powerful soldiers for your body.
“In addition to being powerful antioxidants, anthocyanins also possess anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and anticancer properties.” – Source: The Science Direct.
So, go forth and get as much purple kale as you can stomach. Aside from this Kale salad with pomegranate, I also put it in my instant pot quinoa soup. If you love beets as much as I do, put them into a hummus recipe.
And, if you like purple food, I made a purplish basil pesto recipe that is beyond delicious.
Almonds add a crunch to this salad. However, recently, I tried topping this salad with these candied pecans and sweet and spicy pecans! They both blew me away! What kind of pecan will you try on this salad?
Ask me questions
How should I store my kale salad?
Kale salad is best stored in a glass container. I like using glass meal prep containers to store any leftovers. Glass doesn’t react with kale or other ingredients in this salad.
How do you make kale less bitter for a salad?
Massaging kale or heating it on low for just 2 minutes will make Kale less bitter in any salad. You can also try adding sweeter salad dressings to make it less bitter.
Should I heat kale?
Kale can be heated up without any problems. Do not heat it for more than two minutes at low temperatures. You have to be cautious as to how long you heat it because overheating it will mean all its nutrition is lost. Under heating it will make it bitter and harder to digest.
Can you eat raw kale in a salad?
Raw kale is very edible and it’s the best way to eat kale. It takes a lot of energy and several types of gut bugs to break down that tough structure of kale. This is a good thing because it makes your digestive system strong and you also maximize the extraction of nutrition from kale.
Other salad recipes you will enjoy
I have a love of salads and it shows. Here are just a few salad recipes from my blog.
Watermelon salad with arugula
This is a perfect summer salad that you can take to picnics or outdoor gatherings. Even the pear dressing steals the show.
Spinach salad
If you love spinach salad, this one is a must-make. I also used bagel chips in this salad which makes it better than using croutons.
Tabouli salad
This is not your traditional tabouli salad. It’s made with amaranth grain and then, seasoned with Za’atar seasoning.
Vegan Caesar salad
How much did you miss eating a Caesar salad when you went vegan? Or, are you a vegan who never had Caesar salad? Here is your chance to taste the best vegan salad ever! P/S: I used something better than croutons in this salad. Can you guess what I used?
I have collected all my favorite salads in one place and I also have 4 really easy salad dressings to choose from.
Sharing is caring
Don’t be shy, chime in below in the comments. Let me hear your opinion on this recipe. If you enjoyed this, please give it 5 stars and share it on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube.
Kale Salad with Pomegranate
Rini
A very simple keto warm kale salad with pomegranate and beet chips. This is a vegan friendly and easy lunch salad that comes together in minutes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 8 minutes
Beet cooking time 27 minutes
Total Time 27 minutes
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Servings 2 people
Calories 300 kcal
For the beet chips
For the salad dressing
- 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
- 1 Tbsp tahini
- ½ lime juiced
For the salad
- 2 Tbsp sliced almonds sub it with chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1 Tbsp coconut oil use extra virgin coconut oil
- 3 cloves garlic makes about 1 tbsp when chopped
- 1 cup bell peppers chopped. About 1.5 bell peppers
- 5 purple kale leaves use curly kale if you can’t find purple kale
- 2 Tbsp pomegranate seed
Get Recipe Ingredients
Make the beet chips
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Mix all the ingredients for the beet chips and air fry them for 22 minutes at 300F
Make the salad dressing
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Mix the ingredients for the salad and set aside.
Make the warm kale salad
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Remove the tough stems from the purple kale. Set the stems to be composted later
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Put the kale leaves on top of each other and roll them into a cigar shape
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Chop them into strips (chiffonade) and set aside
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Heat a stainless steel pan for 15 seconds, then add the sliced almonds
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Roast the almonds for 30 seconds and transfer them to a bowl, set aside
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Set the same stainless steel pan on medium heat and then add the coconut oil
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Add the garlic and roast for 1 minute
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Add the chopped bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes or until softened
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Set the heat to low and add the kale
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Cook for no more than 2 minutes or until the kale has reduced to about 3/4 of its size.
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Add about 1/2 of the tahini dressing you made above and save the rest of the dressing for future recipes.
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Mix well and transfer to a serving bowl
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Add the beet chips when they are done
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Top with pomegranate seeds and the roasted almonds before serving.
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Give it a quick mix and then serve
**** CALORIES INFORMATION IS APPROXIMATE. CONSULT A HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONAL FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.
TIPS
- I usually find purple kale at Whole Foods and health food stores. If you can’t find purple kale, use regular curly kale.
- This salad’s star is not just purple kale. The roasted beets add so much flavor and color to this recipe. Do not omit this ingredient.
- The total cook time of this recipe is 22 minutes which is how long the beet chips take to make. While the beet chips are in the air fryer, prepare the rest of the salad. You will have the kale salad prepared minutes before the beets are done.
- Use ripe pomegranate seeds because they add a natural sweetness to the salad.
- You can make this vegetarian keto by adding feta cheese. If you want to keep it vegan, use my vegan feta recipe.
- If you are not a fan of warming up your kale, you can always massage it. I massaged kale for this curried lentil dish.
- I used only bell peppers in this salad. You can always add carrots, zucchini and vegetables that are in season.
- If you want to use this salad in meal prep, make the salad as listed below. But, don’t add the dressing until you are ready to eat it.
- Roasted almonds add a crunch to this salad. You can sub it with toasted pecans or walnuts.
- In the salad dressing, I use spicy brown mustard. Be sure to look at the ingredients of your mustard. Some spicy brown mustards are not keto/vegan friendly. I used Gulden’s Spicy Brown Mustard which is keto/vegan and they use organic ingredients.
- Use a tahini that doesn’t have any sugars or artificial ingredients. Better yet, make your own tahini at home.
Calories: 300kcal
Keyword keto vegan recipes, simple kale salad, warm kale salad
Rini
Hi, I’m Rini . I am the recipe developer and the heart behind Healing Tomato, where food meets healing. From the first time a rolling pin was put in my hand at the age of 8, I’ve been cooking traditional Indian food and exploring every world cuisine since. Based in the sunshine state of Florida, I now focus on wholesome vegetarian recipes that nourish both body and soul. I have cooked healthy foods and unhealthy ones too — and I believe every meal is an opportunity to heal! Come, heal with me!
