Kale, Beetroot, Spelt & Pomegranate Salad with Orange Balsamic Dressing
As the winter slowly arrives, I tend to re-embrace all the comforting soups that have been out of the lunch-making cycle for a good 6 months. However, on those sunny autumn days, I want something that is both comforting yet fresh and light. This is when a hearty salad offers the satisfaction I’m craving. On a said sunny autumn day, only just last week, I took advantage of my mum’s flourishing kale forest and threw together this salad for us to have for lunch while we discussed how to make the most of our sunny autumnal afternoon. It was so simple and delicious, that I just had to share it with you!
It is very easy to use this salad as a blueprint to create your own autumn salad. Choose any grain or vegetables that you prefer and go from there. For me, the combination of the earthy beetroot and carrot with the bright orange dressing and juicy sweet pomegranate seeds just works so well.
For the dressing, I decided just to add whole chunks of fresh orange rather than just the juice. You could just use orange juice but, I have to say, I enjoyed have the occasional chunk of orange in my salad.
KALE, BEETROOT, SPELT & POMEGRANATE SALAD with orange balsamic dressing
serves 2-3 • 40 minutes
for orange balsamic dressing:
½ orange
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
60ml / ¼ cup walnut oil
60ml / ¼ cup olive oil
~100 g curly green or purple kale, stems removed
100g / ½ cup whole spelt grain
600g / 21oz raw beetroot
3 carrots
handful of pomegranate seeds
50g / ½ cup walnuts, toasted
First, cook the spelt as it does take some time. Bring a pan of water to boil before adding a pinch of salt and the spelt. Allow to gently boil for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain and allow to cool.
Preheat the oven to 200℃/392℉. Chop beetroot and carrots into large chunks. (I tend to leave them unpeeled, but your choice.) Toss with salt, pepper and olive oil. Spread evenly on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes or until starting to char on the outside.
While the veggies are roasting, prepare the other ingredients. De-seed the pomegranate. Toast the walnuts in a dry pan before roughly chopping into small pieces. Tear the kale leaves from the tough stems into bite size pieces.
Prepare the dressing by chopping half an orange into chunks, add the whole chunks into a jug and either using your hands or a fork squeeze them to release some of their juices. Add in the balsamic vinegar, walnut oil and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, add the kale and a drizzle of your dressing. Use your hands to squeeze and ‘massage’ the kale to allow the dressing to soften the leaves.
When all your ingredients are cooked or prepared, add everything else to the dressed kale and use your hands or salad tongs to mix it all together. Feel free to add more pomegranate seeds and walnuts on top for decoration.
Will keep well in the fridge for at least a couple of days.