Kale Beet Salad with Maple Candied Walnuts
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This kale beet salad is so colorful and pretty – so you’ll be happy to hear that it tastes as amazing as it looks! Sweet and tender beets are paired with tangy, creamy goat cheese with the crunch of candied walnuts, melding into crisp, hearty kale leaves. It’s coated with a honey balsamic vinegarette that sneaks its way into all the corners and grooves of the kale, so each bite is full of flavor!
This kale beet salad is one I turn to as soon as fall rolls around and I start craving warm, roasted beets — though I happily make it any time of year. The earthy sweetness of the beets pairs beautifully with hearty, slightly bitter kale, and together they strike that perfect cozy-but-fresh balance I love.
The real wildcard here is the maple candied walnuts. They add just the right sweet crunch and somehow manage to steal the spotlight every time. A word of warning from experience: once you start nibbling on them, it’s very hard to stop. I usually make a double batch so there are extras on hand — some for the salad, some for “quality control.”
Ingredients needed
Salads with an array of textures are so fun to eat! This kale and beet salad is no exception. These are the ingredients you need:
- Key ingredients: Beets, walnut halves, curly kale, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper.
- Cheese: Goat or Boursin cheese is our top pick. Feta cheese or a diced avocado is a creamy alternative.
- Honey balsamic vinaigrette: Apple cider vinegar, honey, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, garlic, sea salt, and extra virgin olive oil come together to make a creamy and perfectly balanced dressing.
Honey balsamic dressing
Adding a bottle of store-bought salad dressing to your shopping cart might seem like a convenient shortcut, but achieving a delicious homemade dressing is a super easy and straightforward process. The key is gradual incorporation of oil – you want to slowly whisk it in. If you add everything to a bowl and stir it around, you’ll get an oily, runny dressing rather than a creamy consistency.
Put everything EXCEPT the oil into a bowl, giving it a little whisk. Then, slowly add the oil in a small and steady stream while whisking constantly – the whole thing should take just one minute. If the oil starts to build up, stop pouring it in and whisk the dressing vigorously. If you’re familiar with making homemade mayonnaise, it’s the same process, minus the egg yolk.
The salad dressing will last in the fridge for at least a week, which means you can always make a larger batch and use it for other salads.
What to serve with kale beet salad
Kale beet salad is fancy enough for a special occasion, yet simple enough for an average weeknight! Serve alone as a lighter meal, or pair it as a side dish beside some protein or heartier mains such as:
Recipe FAQs
How do I store leftovers?
Kale salads keep better as leftovers than most other green salads. The kale will wilt, but as it’s a hearty green, it will retain some of its bite. If you have leftover beet and kale salad, it will keep in the fridge in a covered container for 3 days; the kale will soften.
Can I make the salad ahead of time?
While you don’t want to dress the salad in advance, you can prepare the individual components. Store the other components in separate airtight containers – keep everything except the walnuts in the fridge. The candied walnuts can stay at room temperature.
Can I prep the beets in advance?
Sure thing! If you need to save a few minutes at service, roast the beets in advance, store them in the fridge in an airtight container, and reheat them when it’s time to assemble the salad. You can also purchase cooked beets if needed.
I don’t love goat cheese – what else could I use?
Our top pick is Boursin cheese! Otherwise, some creamy avocado, feta cheese, or blue cheese will work well.
Kale Beet Salad Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lb beets (peeled and quartered – or cut into bite-sized pieces if you're using large beets)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup walnut halves
- 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- 4 packed cups of curly kale (washed and torn into bite sized pieces)
- Optional: ¼ cup goat or Boursin cheese (a diced avocado makes a great alternative to creamy cheeses in salads!)
The Dressing
- 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey (use maple syrup for vegan)
- 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- ½ teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (grated on a Microplane or very finely minced)
- A pinch of sea salt
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Place the beets on the prepared baking sheet and drizzle the oil over top. Use your hands to toss them in the oil. Cover the baking sheet with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 30-40 minutes, or until they can be pierced with a fork.1 ½ lb beets, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- While the beets are roasting prepare the rest of the salad. Add the walnut halves to a small frying pan over medium heat. Let them cook until they are fragrant and start to brown in places, shaking the pan frequently. Pour over the maple syrup and sprinkle with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper. Let them cook, stirring constantly, until the maple syrup has almost evaporated, about 1 minute. Remove the walnuts from the pan and place them on a piece of parchment paper, separating them from each other as much as possible.1 cup walnut halves, 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ⅛ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
- To make the dressing, combine all the ingredients EXCEPT the oil in a medium-sized bowl. Slowly add the oil in a thin steady stream while whisking the dressing constantly. If the oil starts to build up at all stop pouring it and whisk the dressing vigorously. It will take you about 1 minute to whisk in the oil. Taste the dressing and season it with extra salt, to taste.3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoons balsamic vinegar, ½ teaspoon dijon mustard, 1 clove garlic, A pinch of sea salt, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Add the kale, candied walnuts, and, if using, the cheese or avocado to a large bowl. When the beets come out of the oven let them cool slightly then add them to the bowl too. Pour the dressing over top and toss well so that everything is coated.Optional: ¼ cup goat or Boursin cheese, 4 packed cups of curly kale
Nutrition
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More kale salad recipes
For more inspiration, check out all of our salad recipes!
I added carrots and used garlic powder instead of fresh garlic. Loved everything about it. Bravo!
Carrots are a great addition! Yum!
Delicious, thank you for sharing. Loved it.
You’re very welcome, Linda!
Love this salad .I used pecans and goat cheese . Will definitely make this salad for my family .
I’m so happy that the recipe was a hit!
Turned out delicious all the different flavours and textures.loved the salad dressing too.
I boiled the kale for a few minutes and then plunged it into ice water. It softened up the kale nicely.
Delicious!!! Thank you.
I make this regularly. It’s DELICIOUS. It’s also a perfect “fancy” salad for special occasions or guests. Definitely try it. Also, the recipe format it fantastic. So easy to follow as you’re going through the steps. Thank you!
Fabulous salad!
Came here to say there’s no need to peel beets if you’re roasting them. Just wash, chop and put in the oven or air fryer. It’s a little magic trick — the skin is undetectable.
Definitely a keeper! I would make 1 change and top the salad with the cheese in as you serve it, My cheese kind of mixed in and disppeared. What I love the most was how you wrote the recipe. Itemizing the ingredients in each step makes such a difference when preparing. I hope this trend catches on!
I agree!! This is THE BEST way to set up a recipe. Love following it.
this is one of my favorite go to salads, especially in the fall. In place of the boursin I sometimes use feta or goat cheese and usually always add the avocado.
I’ve made this several times now. I love it!
The salad is good and the tips in the recipe are very useful. The dressing is very tasty. I used the air fryer instead of the oven to make crispier beets. I guess is a good idea to skip the maple in the walnuts to make the salad less sweet. I will keep the rest as it is.
This was a delicious salad. I had beets and kale in my farm box this week so It was the perfect recipe. The walnuts added a wonderful sweet crunch. We used goat cheese as suggested. The family loved it!
Perfect recipe. My mom would always make this recipe and I made it on my own finally and it’s just as great.
Was inspired to make this when I picked up fresh beets and kale at my local farm. I used feta instead of goat cheese as I didn’t have goat cheese and it was amazing. It was so good, non beet lovers loved this salad and went back for more. Will definitely make this again!
Thanks. It’s the best! And you’re right; friends have asked for the recipe.