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This easy Detox Salad recipe is made with a rainbow of delicious ingredients that you can feel great about enjoying! Plus, it’s topped with my favorite Japanese Ginger Carrot Dressing. (This post contains affiliate links.)
Every Monday night is sushi night around here.
And I look forward to it every single week. ♡
The tradition began for Barclay and I when we started dating, and found out that we had a mutual love for good nachos and spicy tuna rolls. I had already determined my favorite two spots for good nachos in Kansas City (here and here). But he was convinced that his little neighborhood sushi joint had some of the best spicy tuna rolls in town. And on Monday nights, they were just $4 each. And — I later realized this was the biggest selling point for Barc — you could walk there from his house. This fiancé of mine is a European at heart and loves any place that’s walk-able.
Anyway, I’m always down for a good walk and spicy tuna roll as well, so we went out on a sushi date to check it out. And a year and a half later, we have been back nearly every Monday night since. :)
He was right — the tuna rolls there are pretty good. Maybe not the best in the city, but they definitely hit the spot when we’re craving sushi after a long Monday back at work. And since they’re so dang cheap on special, we’ve kind of gotten in the habit of ordering a ridiculous amount of them, especially when our rotating cast of friends who know that we’re now there every Monday night decide to pop in and join us. It’s our spicy tuna fest, and we love it.
But to balance out all of that rice and fish, we also always — always — order a few salads with that classic Japanese-restaurant carrot-ginger dressing to begin the meal. I’m sure many of you have had this dressing before. It’s ridiculously good, with all of those sweet carrots and ginger, paired with savory rice vinegar and miso and sesame. The only bummer is that Japanese restaurants usually tend to serve it on boring iceberg lettuce. So this past week, I whipped up a batch of the dressing homemade, and decided to toss it with some of my favorite greens and veggies as a bit of a “detox salad” for the New Year.
It’s nothing fancy, but I’m telling you, it truly is delicious. And since so many of you asked about it via my Instagram story on new years, I thought I’d pop in and share the recipe today!
I’ve experimented with making different versions of this Carrot-Ginger Dressing for years. But lately, this combination of ingredients is my fave. Just toss all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor, and pulse until smooth. (And btw, I totally recommend making a double batch so that you can have extra on hand for later in the week!)
Then comes the fun part — chop up your salad!
You can really use just about any base ingredients in this salad, including fresh greens, veggies, herbs, etc. I love a good mix of cabbage and kale and broccoli and carrots, paired with lots of fresh cilantro and green onions for flavor, and toasted almonds for crunch.
You can either chop everything up by hand…
…or, my favorite, let your food processor do all of the work. Up to you.
(Or, you can also save a step and just buy a bag of mixed greens or slaw at the store. Also works great.) ;)
Once you’re ready to serve the salad, just add in however much of the dressing you’d like…
…give everything a good toss…
…and then this gorgeous rainbow of a meal will be yours to enjoy. :)
It’s fresh, it’s filling, it’s full of great flavor, and it’s made with all sorts of ingredients you can feel great about in the new year.
This easy Detox Salad truly is delicious! It’s made with all sorts of fresh and feel-good greens, and topped with a sweet and zesty Carrot-Ginger Dressing.
Ingredients
Scale
Detox Salad Ingredients:
3 cups finely-chopped* kale leaves
2 cups finely-chopped broccoli florets
2 cups finely-chopped red cabbage
1 cup matchstick (shredded) carrots
1 cup roughly-chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup toasted slivered almonds
1/3 cup thinly-sliced green onions
1 avocado, peeled pitted and diced
1 batch Carrot Ginger Dressing (see below)
Carrot-Ginger Dressing Ingredients:
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly-chopped
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons avocado oil or olive oil (or any mild-flavored cooking oil)
Add all ingredients together in a large bowl, and toss to combine. Serve immediately. (Or if you are not going to serve the entire salad in one setting, the salad can be mixed without the dressing and refrigerated in a sealed container for up to 2 days with the dressing refrigerated separately in another sealed container.)
To Make The Carrot-Ginger Dressing:
Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor, and pulse until completely smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and/or add extra honey if you’d like a sweeter dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 1 week.
Notes
*I recommend chopping the salad ingredients by adding each to a food processor and pulsing until chopped. Or, you’re also more than welcome to chop them by hand.
So colourful! I’m allergic to raw carrots, do you think there is a good substitute for the dressing? I could always omit entirely do up another type of vinaigrette, I suppose, but this one looks so good.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Patricia — we hope you can give it a try soon! As for the carrots, we wonder if you could do another root vegetable — sweet potato or parsnips maybe?
Natasja —
This has become one of my favorite salads!! The dressing makes it so delightful. Thanks a million for creating and sharing it. I’ve shared it with several friends already and it’s in my regular rotation for meal prep for weekday lunches.
I feel like I should only eat veggies for the next month after the holiday foods (ALL.THE.FOODS.) and this looks like a perfect addition to the line up.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Bridget (and we totally know what you mean) haha! We hope you enjoy this one! :)
I love using your recipes, Ali as they’re not complicated nor expensive to make but are tasty & colorful.
I’m glad that I ran across your site/blog. Thanks again for sharing recipes! Glad to hear of your engagement also.
Just hope your man will be adventerous in trying new recipes & such. Have a good week, God Bless ( Psalms 100)
from Judie G. in North Carolina (near Rocky Mount)
I made the dressing this afternoon to go with a salad of romaine, coleslaw mix, and a sliced orange (why yes, I was cleaning out the fridge)… it’s fantastic! I did omit the miso, as I don’t have any, have never used it, and didn’t feel like venturing out in the snow to find some. Even without it, the dressing still tastes great. Thank you for another great recipe!
As soon as I saw the carrot and ginger dressing, I knew it was a winner. I make a smoothie with this combo and it’s sooo good. Digging all those finely chopped greens too. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thank you, Monique — we hope you an give this a try sometime soon! :)
I was in the mood for a super healthy salad tonight and this was perfect. I didn’t find kale or miso at the grocer on my lunch break here in Luxembourg where it’s hit or miss, so I subbed with extra cabbage and a pinch off a soft boullion cube for extra flavor. For the hubby we threw in some cut-up rotisserie chicken. The dressing is so so yummy. I wanted to lick the bowl and had heaping seconds. Can’t wait to make it with the kale and miso though. This is definitely going to be in frequent circulation. This is success 3 out of 3 since stumbling on your blog about 2 weeks ago. Thank you!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing with us, Hallie — we’re so happy you enjoyed this! :)
After the Christmas/New Year craziness I put my body through, I definitely want to make this salad.
(We’ve been to every restaurant on SW Blvd. numerous times……except El Patron. How did that happen!?!)
I just made this for the second time in 6 days. We LOVE it. It’s the perfect crunchy afternoon snack. It’s really helping me to stay away from the crackers and chips.
OMG! This salad is amazing, made it without the dressing but I’ll be sure to make it with dressing soon. My husband couldn’t stop taking about it. Delish! ☺
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing with us, Tshidi — we’re so glad you guys enjoyed it! :)
I made this salad this morning because it was SOOOO beautiful and happy looking. It looks like a Mardi Gras party in a bowl. Just the thing for a dreary, gloomy, foggy, rainy day. And holey frog on a pogo stick, it is DELICIOUS! PARTY IN MY MOUTH!
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks for sharing, we’re so happy you loved it! :D
Thanks hayley, can i just say I’m eating the salad in a wrap with chicken schnitzel, sliced chilli and lots of dressing right now. Its super delicious and perfect for leftovers!! (if there are any lol)
I love the colors, it looks so amazing! I’m just about to start making it. I just had one question. Can I put the dressing in the freezer? Or how long does it keep? I’m only asking ‘cos I have some miso that’s about to expire…
Hayley @ Gimme Some Oven —
Thanks, Nea — we hope you enjoy it! And yes, we think the dressing would be fine in the freezer.
So I brought this salad to the last family get-together and now, apparently, I’m the salad person because they requested I bring another one. So, thanks? :) I’m going to try your Autumn Kale Salad for Easter.
Seriously is delicious! My husband and I loved this salad. It went very well as a side to baked salmon. The dressing was perfect, a bit gingery, but I like the zing. I typically don’t like raw veggies, but it all works together. Perfect dish after a gluttonous Thanksgiving weekend and will definitely be an addition to our packed lunch routine.
Just made this salad for the 3 dozenth time. It’s a consistent winner with my 6 year old (not an easy feat!) and I love the leftovers. We call it party salad because it looks like confetti. Thanks for making healthy taste so good!
Love this recipe!! I make it up at the begging of the week and pop them in jars and add my dressing when I’m ready to enjoy it. It’s very refreshing and I enjoy it for lunch, snack or side with dinner
Make this salad today. Very delicious and healthy! I put the dressing on the whole batch and tossed as I find kale never goes soggy. I put the leftovers (there was lots) in pint sealers and plan to take them in my lunch this week. Saving time for lunch making made up for the time it took to make the salad (it did take a while). Thank you!
I seriously love this salad !I buy the carrots already chopped. I like to use the food processor for the Kale but hand chop the broccoli & cabbage because I think they get chopped too much in the processor. I always double the dressing though because it’s so good and I’m usually pretty generous on my portions .It does great as leftovers too. That’s not always the case with a lot of other salads , once you put dressing on them . -Adrian
Hey! I made this salad and I loved it! It’s a perfect lunch or snack and it’s hard to believe it’s actually healthy! This was super delicious, and I’m definitely making this again?? How many calories are in this salad? I tried to count them but I couldn’t because it’s so hard to know the amount of calories and the measurements and all that.
Amazing! I was in guilt for not typing this out last night but this salad is amazing when it comes to taste, detoxification, etc. Thank you so much for your time and effort to your recipes and your blog! I’m a new fan and will try out other healthy recipes in the near future. Keep up the great work!
Delicious, Healthy Salad. I made this salad last night for a group of 9 women. They loved it, as did I.
I was easy to prepare ahead of time and I took your advice and doubled the dressing. I added more carrots than suggested and a little more sesame oil, miso .and salt. It’s a keeper!
Thanks for sharing with us.
So delicious! The carrot dressing came out chunky for me, though. The carrots did not blend until a smooth consistency..but since there was liquid, I just mixed it in with everything and it tasted great. I’ll be sharing this recipe forsure!
I made a similar salad back in 2013. This is like an upgraded version of mine – looks so yummy!
Charmaine Ng | Architecture & Lifestyle Blog
https://charmainenyw.com
YUM! I’ve always wanted to make that dressing at home and this salad looks so fresh!
Thanks, Karlie — we hope you can give this a try soon!
Yum! It looks so healthy!
Kari
Looks yummy! I just don’t particularly care for raw kale! I could probably substitute with baby spinach.
We think this would be awesome with baby spinach! We hope you enjoy!
So colourful! I’m allergic to raw carrots, do you think there is a good substitute for the dressing? I could always omit entirely do up another type of vinaigrette, I suppose, but this one looks so good.
Thanks, Patricia — we hope you can give it a try soon! As for the carrots, we wonder if you could do another root vegetable — sweet potato or parsnips maybe?
This has become one of my favorite salads!! The dressing makes it so delightful. Thanks a million for creating and sharing it. I’ve shared it with several friends already and it’s in my regular rotation for meal prep for weekday lunches.
Yum! I have always wondered what is in that dressing. Pinning!
I feel like I should only eat veggies for the next month after the holiday foods (ALL.THE.FOODS.) and this looks like a perfect addition to the line up.
Thanks, Bridget (and we totally know what you mean) haha! We hope you enjoy this one! :)
Whaat? Carrot ginger dressing? Never heard of it but can’t wait to make it now that I know such thing exists! :) I like your sushi nights :).
Yes, it’s sooooo good! We hope you can give it a try sometime soon! :)
I love using your recipes, Ali as they’re not complicated nor expensive to make but are tasty & colorful.
I’m glad that I ran across your site/blog. Thanks again for sharing recipes! Glad to hear of your engagement also.
Just hope your man will be adventerous in trying new recipes & such. Have a good week, God Bless ( Psalms 100)
from Judie G. in North Carolina (near Rocky Mount)
Love this!!!
I made the dressing this afternoon to go with a salad of romaine, coleslaw mix, and a sliced orange (why yes, I was cleaning out the fridge)… it’s fantastic! I did omit the miso, as I don’t have any, have never used it, and didn’t feel like venturing out in the snow to find some. Even without it, the dressing still tastes great. Thank you for another great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Marissa!
As soon as I saw the carrot and ginger dressing, I knew it was a winner. I make a smoothie with this combo and it’s sooo good. Digging all those finely chopped greens too. Sometimes it’s the little things that make all the difference.
Thank you, Monique — we hope you an give this a try sometime soon! :)
I was in the mood for a super healthy salad tonight and this was perfect. I didn’t find kale or miso at the grocer on my lunch break here in Luxembourg where it’s hit or miss, so I subbed with extra cabbage and a pinch off a soft boullion cube for extra flavor. For the hubby we threw in some cut-up rotisserie chicken. The dressing is so so yummy. I wanted to lick the bowl and had heaping seconds. Can’t wait to make it with the kale and miso though. This is definitely going to be in frequent circulation. This is success 3 out of 3 since stumbling on your blog about 2 weeks ago. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing with us, Hallie — we’re so happy you enjoyed this! :)
Just whipped up dressing. It’s super thick. Should I use veggie broth to thin? Thanks!
Hi Lori! It is a thicker dressing, but definitely feel free to thin it down with veggie broth or water. We hope this helps!
After the Christmas/New Year craziness I put my body through, I definitely want to make this salad.
(We’ve been to every restaurant on SW Blvd. numerous times……except El Patron. How did that happen!?!)
Thank you, Jana — we hope you love it! :)
Incredibly delicious salad that I can feel good about eating -beautiful colors and the dressing is outstanding on its own.
Thank you !
Awesome, so glad you enjoyed it!
I just made this for the second time in 6 days. We LOVE it. It’s the perfect crunchy afternoon snack. It’s really helping me to stay away from the crackers and chips.
YAY, I’m so glad to hear it!
Hi, It’s really wonderful
OMG! This salad is amazing, made it without the dressing but I’ll be sure to make it with dressing soon. My husband couldn’t stop taking about it. Delish! ☺
Thanks for sharing with us, Tshidi — we’re so glad you guys enjoyed it! :)
Hi Hayley, Another great looking salad. Sounds delicious and healthy! I will surely this try one!
This was awesome! I love all the flavors together. I didn’t have the miso but it still tasted amazing! Keep the recipes coming!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Lynn!
Just made this salad last night (replaced the miso with coconut aminos due to soy allergy) and it was soooooo yummy! Many thanks!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it!
I made this salad this morning because it was SOOOO beautiful and happy looking. It looks like a Mardi Gras party in a bowl. Just the thing for a dreary, gloomy, foggy, rainy day. And holey frog on a pogo stick, it is DELICIOUS! PARTY IN MY MOUTH!
Thanks for sharing, we’re so happy you loved it! :D
Just looking at the ingredients, I’m already loving it. Can’t wait to try it.
Thanks, Lynette — we hope you can try it soon!
Wow! What a beautiful salad! I have just about everything I need to make this. Yay! Can’t wait!
Thank you, Emily! We hope you enjoy!
So many folks comment before they make it. It would be great to post a comment after you’ve tried it.
i just made this salad for dinner tonight and I’m fighting the urge to drink the dressing right from the blender. Its a winner :)
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Anthea! The dressing is definitely our favorite part. :)
Thanks hayley, can i just say I’m eating the salad in a wrap with chicken schnitzel, sliced chilli and lots of dressing right now. Its super delicious and perfect for leftovers!! (if there are any lol)
I love the colors, it looks so amazing! I’m just about to start making it. I just had one question. Can I put the dressing in the freezer? Or how long does it keep? I’m only asking ‘cos I have some miso that’s about to expire…
Thanks, Nea — we hope you enjoy it! And yes, we think the dressing would be fine in the freezer.
Looked for a new salad, this hits the spot!
Thx
Awesome, we’re glad to hear that, Ann! :)
So I brought this salad to the last family get-together and now, apparently, I’m the salad person because they requested I bring another one. So, thanks? :) I’m going to try your Autumn Kale Salad for Easter.
What makes this a detox salad?
It’s just full of real, healthy, ingredients — nothing processed or bad for you, that’s all we mean by “detox.” :)
This was delicious! I added strawberries and blueberries to my salad. Yum!
Awesome! Glad you enjoyed it!
This salad is soooo good. I used Trader Joe’s Spicy Peanut vinaigrette dressing. I’ll make it again and again. Thank you
This was amazing! The dressing put it over the top. It also kept fairly well for a few days.
Seriously is delicious! My husband and I loved this salad. It went very well as a side to baked salmon. The dressing was perfect, a bit gingery, but I like the zing. I typically don’t like raw veggies, but it all works together. Perfect dish after a gluttonous Thanksgiving weekend and will definitely be an addition to our packed lunch routine.
So delicious.. I ate this for three days and enjoyed every meal..
Just made this salad for the 3 dozenth time. It’s a consistent winner with my 6 year old (not an easy feat!) and I love the leftovers. We call it party salad because it looks like confetti. Thanks for making healthy taste so good!
excellent quick meal and refreshing
Love this recipe!! I make it up at the begging of the week and pop them in jars and add my dressing when I’m ready to enjoy it. It’s very refreshing and I enjoy it for lunch, snack or side with dinner
Make this salad today. Very delicious and healthy! I put the dressing on the whole batch and tossed as I find kale never goes soggy. I put the leftovers (there was lots) in pint sealers and plan to take them in my lunch this week. Saving time for lunch making made up for the time it took to make the salad (it did take a while). Thank you!
So delicious! I added Tofu & quinoa for some protein!
YUM!!! Just made the dressing and it is delicious. I’m getting the ingredients for the salad tomorrow. This recipe is going into my make again file.
So fresh and delicious. I’ve made this many times since discovering it. Thank you!! ?
This is DELISH! It’s so yummy that you forget it’s healthy! Great recipe.
great recipe love it the taste is awesome
Absolutely Love it!
I seriously love this salad !I buy the carrots already chopped. I like to use the food processor for the Kale but hand chop the broccoli & cabbage because I think they get chopped too much in the processor. I always double the dressing though because it’s so good and I’m usually pretty generous on my portions .It does great as leftovers too. That’s not always the case with a lot of other salads , once you put dressing on them . -Adrian
Hey! I made this salad and I loved it! It’s a perfect lunch or snack and it’s hard to believe it’s actually healthy! This was super delicious, and I’m definitely making this again?? How many calories are in this salad? I tried to count them but I couldn’t because it’s so hard to know the amount of calories and the measurements and all that.
healthy just my style love it
Amazing! I was in guilt for not typing this out last night but this salad is amazing when it comes to taste, detoxification, etc. Thank you so much for your time and effort to your recipes and your blog! I’m a new fan and will try out other healthy recipes in the near future. Keep up the great work!
Delicious, Healthy Salad. I made this salad last night for a group of 9 women. They loved it, as did I.
I was easy to prepare ahead of time and I took your advice and doubled the dressing. I added more carrots than suggested and a little more sesame oil, miso .and salt. It’s a keeper!
Thanks for sharing with us.
This is REALLY delicious! Thank you!!
So delicious! The carrot dressing came out chunky for me, though. The carrots did not blend until a smooth consistency..but since there was liquid, I just mixed it in with everything and it tasted great. I’ll be sharing this recipe forsure!