This superfood salad will make you feel good on the inside and give you a glow on the outside. It’s packed with veggies, fiber, and a rainbow of nutrients and flavors.
Jump to: ℹ️ Overview | 🛒 Ingredients | 📷 How To Make | 📹 Watch The Video | 👩🍳 Recipe Tips | 🥗 Serving Suggestions | 📝 Full Recipe Card | 🍽 More Similar Recipes
This superfood salad got the trifecta: it’s delicious, healthy, and satisfying. Plus, it’s so pretty and vibrant looking.
It’s loaded with crunchy kale, roasted butternut squash, and a mix of vibrant veggies like red cabbage and cherry tomatoes. The pumpkin seeds bring a salty-sweet crunch, thanks to the honey-tamari glaze, while the zippy dressing ties everything together.
Every bite delivers fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants. It’s hearty enough for lunch but elegant enough to be a side dish for a dinner party. You can add chickpeas, tofu, chicken, or shrimp for extra protein.
👩🍳 🥗 You might also like my rainbow power salad bowl, this chicken kale salad, this roasted butternut squash salad, or my sweet potato and kale salad.
What You’ll Need
Here is what you’ll need for this superfood salad recipe. Find the full measurements in the recipe card below.
- Butternut squash: Full of beta-carotene (hello, Vitamin A!) and fiber for a healthy gut. Feel free to swap for another winter squash, sweet potatoes or carrots.
- Kale: A nutrition powerhouse loaded with Vitamin K, calcium, and antioxidants (and fiber). For a swap, use spinach instead of kale or add arugula for a peppery kick.
- Red cabbage: High in Vitamin C and phytonutrients. Bonus: that gorgeous color! White cabbage will also work.
- Cherry tomatoes: Packed with lycopene, an antioxidant that’s good for your heart and longevity. Whole chopped tomatoes work as well but I find cherry tomatoes are sweeter and tastier.
- Cucumber: Super hydrating and refreshing with high water content. It’s also a source of Vitamin K and antioxidants to keep things light and crunchy.
- Cos Lettuce: Packed with fiber and low in calories, it adds bulk to the salad without weighing it down. Plus, it’s got a little Vitamin A and potassium for good measure. Feel free to swap with another leafy green or lettuce variety.
- Radish: A peppery kick with a side of Vitamin C. They’re also great for digestion thanks to their natural enzymes and fiber.
- Pickled beets: Adds gut-healthy probiotics and antioxidants. Fresh grated beets or roasted beets can also be used.
- Pumpkin Seeds: Rich in magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats for energy. Swap with sunflower seeds or almonds. These are caramelized with Tamari and honey, which make them extra crunchy and delicious.
- Dressing: Healthy fats from olive oil, a touch of sweetness from honey, and a punch of flavor from garlic and mustard.
- To make this vegan, use maple syrup instead of honey.
How To Make Superfood Salad
Find the full recipe and nutritional information below. Here are some handy step-by-step photos for how to make this healthy rainbow superfood salad.
- Roast the butternut squash until tender and golden. You can use the oven or the air fryer (see recipe card for more instructions).
- Massage the chopped kale to soften it. Chop and prep all the other veggies.
- Toast pumpkin seeds, then add Tamari and honey and allow them to caramelize in the pan, then let them cool.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients.
- Toss everything together in a big bowl, and top with the crunchy seeds.
Watch The Video
Recipe Tips
- This is a great salad to make ahead. You can prepare each element ahead of time, especially the roasted butternut squash cubes, but maybe add cherry tomatoes and cucumber fresh to avoid them releasing the juices.
- Massage the kale: It’s key for tender, non-bitter greens. Just a minute of rubbing makes all the difference.
- Customize: Add grilled chicken, chickpeas, or feta for extra protein.
- Add fresh herbs of choice as these are also packed with nutrients and fiber.
Serving Suggestions
Serve as a main dish with added protein or crusty bread or as a side with some oregano chicken thighs, baked salmon fillets, or broccoli fritters. Leftovers make a killer lunch the next day, but I do recommend to keep the dressing separately.
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Ingredients
- ½ butternut squash 8 oz / 225 grams, cut into cubes
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ tablespoon olive oil or spray, which is what I used
- 3 leaves of kale stems removed and chopped
- 5-6 cos lettuce leaves chopped
- 1 cup diced red cabbage shredded or chopped
- 4 cherry tomatoes quartered
- ¼ red onion sliced thinly
- 2 pickled beets diced
- 3 radishes sliced
- ½ cucumber diced
- ⅓ red pepper diced
Crunchy Pumpkin Seeds
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds pepitas
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
Dressing
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon mustard
Instructions
- Roast butternut squash: Toss cubes with olive oil and salt. Roast at 400°F / 200°C in an air fryer for 12–15 mins (or oven for 20–25 mins).
- Prep greens: Massage kale with a pinch of salt. Chop all other veggies and combine in a large bowl.
- Toast seeds: In a pan, toast pumpkin seeds for 3-4 minutes. Add tamari and honey, stir to coat, and let cool on parchment paper.
- Make the dressing: Whisk all dressing ingredients.
- Assemble: Toss veggies with dressing, and top with pumpkin seeds.
This was so delicious and fresh! Made it over the weekend, my partner and I loved it!
There’s quite a lot of ingredients here, but I still will try my best to gather them all. Love the colors. Should taste yummy!