This healthy salad will give you the boost you need.
Cleansing and detoxing get a lot of hype these days. I mean, who amongst us doesn’t want a quick reset every now and again? I’ve been there, more often than I’d like to admit. Bingeing on chips and salsa is too easy at my favorite Mexican restaurant, and sometimes I just say “screw it” to my healthy tendencies when hanging with the girls. It’s the worst when I give in to gorging on wings and French fries with my husband (how can he eat so much and not gain any weight? Unfair!).
Most people think that detoxing means completely restarting your system. Before you know it, you might find yourself jumping into a three-day juice cleanse or a long week of eating all the cabbage soup your heart desires (which, let’s be honest, gets pretty boring after day one).
Detoxing doesn’t have to be so invasive. Sometimes, it can simply mean choosing to eat one meal – just one meal – that fills your body with nutrients and good energy that will keep you on track. This cranberry and brussels sprout detox salad is exactly what we’re talking about.
Nutrient Dense and Super Crunchy
This healthy salad will give you the boost you need to get you feeling good and like you’re completely on track with your health goals. It’s loaded with nutrient-dense superfoods like kale, Brussels sprouts, and broccoli, and antioxidant-rich dried cranberries. The fresh cilantro and green onions keep it feeling light and fresh while the avocado adds a craveable creaminess (not to mention healthy fats that will keep you feeling full for hours).
The best part (well, the second best part, but we’ll get to the dressing in a minute) is how quickly it all comes together. You seriously just throw the kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, and cilantro in the food processor. Pulse, pulse, pulse and you’re done.
The only thing you have to cut by hand is the green onions, cranberries, and the avocado. When making a detox salad is just easier than going out to eat, that can only mean one thing – I’ll eat more salad!
Deliciously Simple Salad Dressing
What was I saying earlier about the best part? Oh yeah, the dressing. I’m mildly obsessed (okay, completely obsessed) with this dressing.
First, let’s talk about the health benefits of apple cider vinegar. I went through a phase where I drank a teaspoon of the stuff every morning! You see, unfiltered apple cider vinegar (like Bragg’s) contains the “mother,” a colony of bacteria similar to Kombucha’s SCOBY that creates vinegar’s acetic acid during fermentation.
What does all that mean? Those bacterias have been linked to creating beneficial probiotics in our gut health and may also help break down fat and prevent weight gain. In addition to its many health benefits, apple cider vinegar just tastes damn good.
The flavors of apple cider vinegar are especially delicious when combined with honey and Dijon mustard. The honey amps up the natural sweetness of the vinegar and balances out the acidity, while the Dijon mustard brings a little bit of spice and a nice level of saltiness to the dressing. Whisk it together with olive oil, and you have the perfect dressing to complement this crunchy detox salad.
It’s Easy To Eat Beautiful Food
It doesn’t hurt that this salad is seriously beautiful to look at. All those colors and flavors come together to create a super satisfying detox salad. Since it’s so easy to make, I might make a huge batch of it and enjoy this detox salad all week long!
What do you think, will this cranberry and Brussels sprout detox salad be enough to put you back on track? We’d love to hear from you. Let us know what you think in the comments!
Cranberry and Brussels Sprout Detox Salad
Ingredients
- 1 cup kale leaves roughly chopped
- 3 cups Brussels sprout leaves
- 2 cups broccoli florets small
- 1 cup cabbage shredded
- 1 cup carrots shredded
- 1/2 cup cilantro fresh, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup green onion chopped small
- 1 cup dried cranberries chopped
- 1 avocado peeled, pitted and diced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Instructions
- In a food processor, pulse the kale, Brussel sprouts, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, and cilantro until fine. This may need to be done in batches as to not overfill the food processor. Transfer from the food processor to a large bowl.
- Add the onion, cranberries, and avocado to the pulsed vegetables and mix well. In a small bowl combine the oil, vinegar, honey, and Dijon. Whisk well until smooth. Drizzle over salad and toss to combine. Let set for 10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition Information
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Sounds good will try and do veggies in my Veggie Blender
How often do you eat this? Looks wonderful!
Tara, A couple times a week is good.
Incredible, how often do I enjoy this each day?
Kim, You can enjoy the salad daily in conjunction with a whole food eating plan.
Hands down my favorite salad! I’ve made it several times as part of my meal prep and never get sick of it. I sometimes add in bits of grilled salmon or shrimp for extra protein. Absolutely delicious!!!
Awesome, Jazzy! We appreciate the feedback! I’ll definitely have to try adding some grilled salmon! 😍
What is the purple in this salad? Is it purple cabbage or purple kale?
Tammie, It looks like cabbage. I’ll ask Chef Nichole to confirm.