This healthy and colorful detox salad is LOADED with lots of greens and fresh veggies. The added nuts and seeds give a delicious crunch and texture to the salad. Drizzled with a lemon ginger vinaigrette, this salad has so many vibrant flavors!
I love a good detox recipe to kick-start my body into eating healthier! Adding more vegetables is always my go-to answer for feeling better. Try my detox soup for lunch or this detox smoothie for breakfast in the mornings! And make sure to drink this easy and delicious detox fruit water throughout the day. Eating healthy never tasted SO good!
What is a Detox Salad?
Give your day a boost of nutrition with the detox salad! Salads full of healthy ingredients are known to be good for your gut. My detox salad is loaded with greens, veggies, and healthy fats! The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in this salad are endless and can result in detoxification. I’m all about my body getting rid of what it doesn’t need and keeping the good stuff fuel me! That’s what detox means to me, so I can’t wait for you to try this delicious salad. You’ll love the healthy fats from the nuts, seeds, and vinaigrette. Each ingredient in this salad has a purpose, and together create the tastiest salad you will ever eat!
Salads don’t have to be boring! Make this easy wedge salad, my delicious grinder salad, or this antipasto salad. They are all so good and bursting with flavor! Honestly, just as satisfying and delicious as a hearty meal!
Ingredients Needed
What I love about this detox salad is that it’s so easy to customize with what you like or have on hand. Just a quick stop at the grocery store to load up on fresh vegetables, and you’re on your way! Cut all the veggies ahead of time and then you can assemble it later!
Salad
- Kale: Washed and chopped.
- Broccoli: Chop the broccoli small for the salad.
- Red Cabbage: Thinly sliced shaved red cabbage adds crunch.
- Carrots: Shredded carrots add pretty color and texture.
- Green Onions: Thinly sliced green onions add delicious flavor.
- Spinach: Chopped spinach adds more nutritious greens to the mix.
- Pumpkin Seeds or Sunflower Seeds: Feel free to use shelled pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
- Slivered Almonds: I love almonds, but any nuts will work in this salad.
- Dried Cranberries: I used unsweetened for less sugar!
Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette
- Fresh Ginger: Fresh is always best and ginger has the best health benefits. If you don’t like ginger, feel free to use less or omit it completely.
- Fresh Lemon Juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice brightens the flavors and adds acidity to the vinaigrette.
- Lemon Zest: Brings out the lemon flavor in the vinaigrette.
- Dijon Mustard: Give the vinaigrette a creamy texture and tangy flavor.
- Honey: Sweetens the vinaigrette. Agave or maple syrup can also be used.
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Binds all of the ingredients together and the base of the vinaigrette.
- Salt and Pepper: To taste.
Detox Salad Recipe
These are the ingredients I used to make this salad, but you can always mix and match with things you have in your fridge! The beauty of salads is that they taste good with so many different additions! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
Salad
- Wash, Prepare, and Combine Salad Ingredients: Add all the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl.
Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette
- Peel the Ginger: Peel the ginger then add it whole or chopped to a food processor.
- Blend all of the Vinaigrette Ingredients: Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, and honey to the food processor and mix until combined. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil then salt and pepper to taste.
- Dress the Salad and Enjoy: Toss the salad together with as much dressing as desired then serve immediately.
Variations
This detox salad is super straightforward to make, and also so easy to switch up the flavors. This salad recipe is perfect when you are trying to add more veggies to your diet. Here are some variations to try.
- Add Protein: I know this is a detox salad, but you could add some protein to make it heartier. Crumbled bacon, hard-boiled eggs, or grilled chicken breast would be delicious!
- Switch Up the Veggies: Use any greens or combination of greens you would like for this salad! You can also use green cabbage in place of the purple cabbage. Feel free to add chopped peppers, cucumbers, or zucchini…the possibilities are endless!
- Dried Fruit: Use different dried fruit like dried blueberries because they are rich in antioxidants!
- Nuts: Switch up the nuts and add your favorites!
- Dressing: Even though the lemon ginger vinaigrette is perfect on this detox salad, it’s fun to experiment with other dressing flavors! I would recommend this balsamic vinaigrette or my apple cider vinaigrette.
Leftover Detox Salad
If you plan on making this salad ahead of time, I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately so the greens don’t wilt. I like to have all of the salad ingredients ready to go and then I assemble it right before serving.
- In the Refrigerator: Store the salad ingredients without the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once the salad has been tossed with the vinaigrette, it’s best to be eaten the same day. The leftovers may be stored for up to 24 hours, but it will get more wilted the longer it sits.
More Healthy Recipes to Try
Beverages
Celery Juice
5 mins
Desserts
Healthy Oatmeal Cookies
30 mins
Beverages
Mixed Berry Smoothie
10 mins
Side Dishes
Air Fryer Vegetables
15 mins
Detox Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups kale, chopped
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped small
- 2 cups red cabbage, shaved
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- ½ cup green onions, sliced thin
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoons pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
- ¼ cup unsweetened dried cranberries
Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, about 1 small knob of ginger
- ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Salad
-
Wash and prepare the salad ingredients then add all of them to a large bowl.
Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette
-
Peel the ginger then add it whole or chopped to a food processor.
-
Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, honey to the food processor and mix until combined. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
-
Toss the salad together with as much dressing as desired. Serve immediately.
