Crunchy Detox Mandarin Kale Salad with avocado, mango, and lemon poppy seed dressing makes for a vibrant superfood meal.
I have such a crush on this salad.
Admittedly, I’d take a bowl of vegetation over a bowl of mac n cheese any day, so stranger confessions have been made on The Roasted Root, but this is by far my favorite wintertime salad.
Just lookit how vibrant the thing is.
The kale-cabbage-carrot trifecta makes for some serious crunch, while the mandarin-mango-avocado trifecta softens it up, creams it out, and is responsible for explosions on your tongue buds.
And yes, we are still talking about salad.
Citrus fruit! It’s in season. Do you adore them?
The grapefruit, mandarins, lemons and limes, oh my? I absolutely love little bitty mandarins poked all spunky and vibrant-like in my salads.
Lemon poppy seed dressing? So fine!
Because it’s citrus season, I’m enjoying my salads with anything orange-like, and salad dressings lately have been all about the simple lemon juice and oil combo.
Those avocado slices? They make this ish real.
I recommend you mash them up with your fork and stir them into the salad so that the creaminess coats a bit of the crunchy kale.
The lemon poppy seed dressing is super simple, yet super perfect for making all the componentry come together into one big love boat.
Be sure you don’t skimp on the avocado and the dressing! And be sure to stir. The more you toss this salad, the better it is.
Recipe Adaptations:
- If you can’t handle the high-octane snap crackle pop or kale, you can halve the amount of kale and add in some spring or field greens so that you’re not constantly chomping through this thing.
- You can turn the lemon poppy seed dressing into an orange poppy seed dressing.
- Add some sliced grilled chicken for a protein infusion. Add some roasted walnuts or almonds, you vixen, you.
All ingredients added together, you’re looking at a vitamin-filled superfood salad packed with crunch. Vegan and paleo-friendly, too, though!
Crunchy Kale Mandarin Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
Ingredients
Mandarin Kale Salad:
- 2 bunches lacinato kale thinly sliced, tuscan
- ½ small head red cabbage thinly sliced
- 2 cups grated carrot
- 1 bunch green onion chopped
- 1 large ripe mango chopped
- 4 to 6 mandarins peeled and separated
- 1 large ripe avocado peeled and sliced
- Slivered almonds and sesame seeds for serving
Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
Instructions
Prepare the salad dressing:
- Add all of the ingredients for the salad dressing except for the poppy seeds to a small blender. Blend until completely smooth. Stir in the poppy seeds and set aside until ready to use.
Prepare the salad:
- Add all of the ingredients for the salad to a large serving bowl. Drizzle desired amount of dressing over salad and toss well to ensure everything is coated. Serve with sliced almonds and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
This month for our healthy recipe roundup, Alexis, Sarah, Arman, Kylie, Lindsay and I decided to hone in on the citrus fruit group. In honor of the sweet, tangy, vitamin and antioxidant-rich fruit, the gang and I are dishing up healthy recipes using various citrusy items to keep you eating in season.
Lemon Coconut Baked Oatmeal Cups from Hummusapien
Orange Avocado Smoothie from Making Thyme for Health
Healthy 1-Minute Lemon Poppy Seed Muffin from The Big Man’s World
Grapefruit Baked Oatmeal with Walnut Streusel from Imma Eat That
I love everything about this salad! And that dressing! It’s so hard to find a good poppyseed dressing recipe that isn’t full of junk. I will definitely be having this for lunch today!
Oh my gee. This salad would make me reconsider my hatred of kale!!! That dressing would make even cardboard taste appetising.
Also, this is amazing because you called them Mandarins and not CUTIES. What kind of a dumb name is that? cuties. cuties. cuties.
This is one of the most beautiful salads I’ve ever seen! The colors are just perfect!
That lemon poppy seed dressing sounds amazing! I love salads with a lot of flavor and add-ins and this one doesn’t disappoint 🙂
This is absolutely stunning! Kale is always my green of choice, and I’m such a fan of the mandarin, too 🙂
As usually, you are the reigning queen of kale!! This salad looks out of this world!
Wow, this might be the most gorgeous salad I’ve ever seen! Loving all the flavors (and colors) here. Citrus is so good this time of year!
You guys make citrus fruit look like kings and queens! GIMME! so pretty!
Girrrrrl, I totally have a crush on this salad, too! LOVE all the colors going on in this salad!!
This salad is so vibrant! Yum! I need to make this soon.
This is what my salad dreams are made of. It’s everything!! It’s definitely happening my kitchen soon.
Have a great weekend, love! <3
how many people is this salad for
Hi Naz, it serves 4.
Ju, I have to be honest with you. I’ve never seen a salad more beautiful than this one you post today! WONDERFUl!!
I’ve been a citrus FIEND lately, and loving it in salads, which is new for me! Love that this is dressed with all that lemony goodness and the sweet bursts of mandarin slices just can’t be beat.
I would use spinach instead of kale, but I love this recipe! Great post. Check out my new blog healthyheatherblog.wordpress.com
You can also find me on IG @heatherwhite_lv
This salad is soooo good! Thank you for it! I made it last week and again tonight. Can’t get enough of it.