This dietitian-approved recipe for a delicious superfood salad combines kale, spinach, broccoli, chickpeas, and more that you can prepare in under 15 minutes.
Nothing beats a good salad, and this superfood salad recipe will become a staple in your house after you try it. Loaded with immune-supporting veggies and tons of vitamins and nutrients, it’s perfect for midday energy or an evening dose of vegetables.
Although it has plenty of vegetables, this superfood salad is super easy to make and only requires seven nutritious ingredients to give you a delicious meal in minutes. For even more depth and flavor, add your favorite protein on top. We love tofu, but you can top it off with any protein you prefer.
Super greens are the heart of our recipe—a group of leafy green vegetables that are proven to support your health. Super greens like arugula and kale are great for supporting your immune system, giving you natural nutrients for energy maintenance, and cleaning out your body.
We’ve drawn inspiration for this recipe from our Super Greens powder. We took what we love about it in drink form to make a delicious meal that the whole family can enjoy.
What Is a Superfood Salad?
Superfood Salad
In a recipe for superfood salad, you’ll find all the health benefits of superfoods combined into one bowl. There is a long list of great superfoods out there, and they’re all given their name thanks to their high nutritional value.
Superfoods deliver a high volume of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in every serving. Even though the term isn't very old, foods that fit under this category have been popular for centuries because they are good for your health.
People love superfoods because they’re extremely healthy and deliver plenty of vitamins and nutrients for relatively minimal calories. This means you can enjoy a hearty serving of superfoods without having to worry about potential weight gain.
This superfood salad doesn’t rely on heavy dressings or high-fat ingredients. Instead, it combines the flavor and texture of select superfoods to deliver a delicious combination that’s great any time of the day. What’s more, you can eat a superfood salad and get over half, if not all, of your daily serving of greens in one meal.
Our recipe for superfood salad combines some of the best immune-supporting superfoods with hearty greens for a balanced, textured meal that will fill you up.
What Goes in a Superfood Salad?
The first thing you need is, of course, a base. Leafy greens like kale and spinach are packed with nutrients and make a fantastic salad base.
Next, every good recipe for a superfood salad needs toppings. These are what create depth and allow you to pack a lot of nutritional value into just one bowl. Our go-to superfood salad toppings are broccoli, edamame, and chickpeas. All three of these superfoods make for a fantastic combination that’s textured, filling, and an excellent source of fiber.
Fiber is such a beneficial ingredient in salads because it helps slow down digestion. Have you ever eaten a salad and still felt hungry? Some people are so used to salads being starters that they don’t even think to make them entire meals on their own!
By incorporating fiber into our recipe for superfood salad, we’ve made a dish that keeps you fuller for longer. You’ll not only love the experience of eating the dish, but you’ll also feel completely satisfied after the fact.
If you’re looking for superfoods to support weight management, then a salad like this is one of the best options, as it can help curb your appetite. Before we delve into the recipe, let’s take a closer look at the ingredients and see what each one may contribute to your health. The superfood salad contains:
Kale
Kale is a dark, leafy green that is full of antioxidants, vitamins, and beta carotene, a pigment in vegetables that gives them their color while serving as a strong antioxidant. A cup of raw kale has only 33 calories and 7 grams of carbohydrates. It’s a fantastic source of vitamins K, A, and C and nutrients such as potassium, magnesium, iron, and thiamin.
Spinach
There are many reasons why fibrous spinach is a staple in a healthy diet. It contains nutrients that may aid bone health, support healthy metabolism, and support strong vision. Its strongest nutrients are vitamins A and C, folic acid, iron, and magnesium. It also contains a good dose of calcium, potassium, sodium, and carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that may help support your body’s ability to fight off free radicals and illness.
Edamame
This soybean is found throughout parts of East Asia and is commonly enjoyed in Japan as an appetizer. A cup of edamame has 224 calories, 13.8 grams of carbohydrates, and 18.5 grams of protein. It is a great source of plant protein, vitamin C, calcium, iron, and folate.
Chickpeas
Whether you know them as chickpeas or garbanzo beans, these legumes are rich in folates, iron, calcium, fiber, and phosphorus. Among its potential health benefits are slower, smoother digestion and supported brain health. It offers the nutrient choline, which can help your brain produce more neurotransmitters and improve memory.
Broccoli
Despite its appearance, broccoli is actually a part of the cabbage family and is known for numerous potential health benefits. This flowering green contains plenty of fiber and up to 90% of your recommended daily intake of vitamin C when consumed raw. Chopped broccoli makes a great salad topping, and it can also double as a crunchy snack.
Carrots
The numerous health benefits of carrots are thanks to their high content of beta carotene, antioxidants, fiber, potassium, and vitamin K1. Eating carrots raw or cooked can help you improve your eyesight and support your digestive health. It’s also a great food to aid your weight loss plan because you can enjoy plentiful servings as a healthy snack with few calories.
Vinaigrette
We’ve also included a dressing that uses just three ingredients (minus the seasoning): extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and parsley. EVOO, as it's known and loved, contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, both of which are part of the Mediterranean diet. Lemon juice adds a citrusy zest to the dressing, and although the quantity is small, it can still contain antibacterial benefits and a good dose of flavonoids.
Recipe for a Superfoods Salad
- Serving size: 1
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Salad Ingredients:
- 1 cup of chopped spinach
- 1 cup of chopped kale
- ½ cup of peeled edamame
- ½ cup of chickpeas
- ¼ cup chopped broccoli
- ¼ cup shredded or grated carrots
Dressing Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon of chopped parsley
- 2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
Thoroughly wash all vegetables separately (except for greens) and strain. Run through a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels to remove excess water. This extra step will keep your salad from becoming soggy.
Chop kale and spinach into thin pieces.
Boil and steam edamame according to package directions. You can cut down prep time by purchasing shelled edamame beans that are ready to cook and eat.
Make sure that chickpeas have been rinsed completely, as the aquafaba left on them could leave a slimy residue on your salad leaves.
In a large bowl, combine all of your ingredients. Toss well.
Prepare your salad dressing in a small bowl on the side, and season to taste.
Slowly pour dressing over the top of your salad, and toss it well before enjoying.
Final Thoughts
You can use this recipe for superfood salad to make your own dishes in the future; consider adding some other vegetables you love or switching up the toppings. A handful of cranberries and pecans, for example, can give this salad a great wintery taste.
Short on time? That’s okay! You can still get your daily dose of vitamins through Super Greens. With over 20 superfood ingredients, this blend is an easy way to take care of your body.
