Alex and I have a saying — “healthy is delicious”. I’m sure it’s not original, but it’s one of the first things we learned when we cut back on processed foods in favor of whole and natural ones.
It seems contradictory — how can something be healthy if it tastes good too? But as we learned more and tasted more, we found that eating healthy tasted actually better than most of the unhealthy foods out there. It was like we had discovered a rainbow of new flavors we never knew existed.
This refreshing salad brings some of that rainbow to life. Who knew raw beets, kohlrabi (our new favorite winter vegetable!), carrots, and kale, tossed with a tangy and sweet grapefruit vinaigrette, could taste so good? We’ve added some pepitas for some salt and crunch, and grapefruit slices for sweetness (if you can stay patient enough to peel them!). We’re fair-weather beet fans ourselves, but we actually really liked them raw in this salad – they added just the right raw crunch without being overpowering.
We created this recipe especially for the Indy Winter Farmer’s Market, where you should be able to pick up each of the fresh ingredients (except for the grapefruit, of course!) in this salad (while supplies last!).
Do you have any healthy foods you find to be addicting-ly delicious? Our favorites: roasted sweet potatoes and cauliflower.
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Beet, Kale and Kohlrabi Salad with Grapefruit Vinaigrette
(2 votes, average: 5.00 out of 1)
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Yield: 4
Yield:
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Pin RecipeIngredients
- 1 bunch kale
- 1 bunch lettuce
- 1 kohlrabi
- 1 beet
- 2 carrots
- 1 grapefruit
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 1/4 cup sunflower seeds or pepitas
Instructions
- Remove the stems from the kale and chop it into bite-sized pieces. Chop the lettuce into bite-sized pieces. Peel the kohlrabi, beet, and 2 carrots and chop them into matchsticks (julienne) with a knife or using a food processor. Remove the sections from half of the grapefruit and peel them.
- In a small canning jar, combine juice from the remaining half grapefruit (around 1/4 cup), 4 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper. Cover the jar and shake vigorously to combine (or whisk all ingredients together in a bowl).
- To serve, place vegetables on serving plates or in bowls. Top with grapefruit vinaigrette and sunflower seeds or pepitas.
About the Authors
Sonja Overhiser
Cookbook Author and writer
Sonja Overhiser is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best healthy cookbooks of 2018. She’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the food blog A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Sonja seeks to inspire adventurous eating to make the world a better place one bite at a time.
Alex Overhiser
Cookbook Author and photographer
Alex Overhiser is an acclaimed food photographer and author based in Indianapolis. He’s host of the food podcast Small Bites and founder of the recipe website A Couple Cooks. Featured from the TODAY Show to Bon Appetit, Alex is author of Pretty Simple Cooking, named one of the best vegetarian cookbooks by Epicurious.
11 Comments
Sarah
January 30, 2013 at 12:47 amThere’s nothing like a bowl full of fresh, vibrant flavors and textures to wake up your taste buds! This looks and sounds delicious.
Bevin
January 30, 2013 at 7:56 amDefinitely agree with your point about whole, healthy foods being delicious! I found once I started in on them there’s just no time for processed junk because there are so many good-for-you foods to explore.
Bevin
magnoliareverie.blogspot.com
Sonja
February 12, 2013 at 3:44 pmI couldn’t agree more, Bevin! Once you start with whole foods, it’s hard to go back :)
Melanie
January 30, 2013 at 10:25 amI’ve been indulging in a bit too much sugar lately, so I’m thankful for this delicious healthy recipe!
Laura
January 30, 2013 at 11:33 amGorgeous salad! Nice inspiration for winter fare. And I’ve had similar “A ha!” kind of moments with healthy/seasonal eating. Once you get used to the good stuff, it’s so hard to enjoy anything else with the same enthusiasm.
Sonja
February 12, 2013 at 3:47 pmThanks, Laura! Yes, we’re hooked on the good stuff — and it does make everything seem to pale in comparison :)
sarah
January 30, 2013 at 9:04 pmThis looks lovely. I have a grapefruit-honey dressing I make, and I love the sweet-tartness of it. I’ll have to try yours out this week. And, I love beets! What great flavors.
Sonja
February 12, 2013 at 3:48 pmOh, fun! It sounds like a very similar dressing — we loooved this one. What is different in your recipe?
Annie
February 4, 2013 at 5:56 pmIt just so happens I have an obnoxiously large bag of grapefruit sitting on my kitchen table. This recipe is totally happening.
Sonja
February 12, 2013 at 3:48 pmPerfect! Let us know if you try it out :)
Pamela Parsons
July 24, 2018 at 9:57 amLove this salad! Beautiful presentation and delicious! I used my spiralizer for the beet, kohlrabi and carrot. Very fresh and dinner guests loved it! Can’t wait to serve it to other friends! Thank you for this recipe!