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This healthy and colorful detox salad is LOADED with lots of greens and fresh veggies. The added nuts and seeds give a delicious crunch and texture to the salad. Drizzled with a lemon ginger vinaigrette, this salad has so many vibrant flavors!

I love a good detox recipe to kick-start my body into eating healthier! Adding more vegetables is always my go-to answer for feeling better. Try my detox soup for lunch or this detox smoothie for breakfast in the mornings! And make sure to drink this easy and delicious detox fruit water throughout the day. Eating healthy never tasted SO good!

Overhead view of detox salad in a large bowl with a serving spoon.

What is a Detox Salad?

Give your day a boost of nutrition with the detox salad! Salads full of healthy ingredients are known to be good for your gut. My detox salad is loaded with greens, veggies, and healthy fats! The vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in this salad are endless and can result in detoxification. I’m all about my body getting rid of what it doesn’t need and keeping the good stuff fuel me! That’s what detox means to me, so I can’t wait for you to try this delicious salad. You’ll love the healthy fats from the nuts, seeds, and vinaigrette. Each ingredient in this salad has a purpose, and together create the tastiest salad you will ever eat!

Salads donโ€™t have to be boring!ย Make this easy wedge salad, my deliciousย grinder salad, or this antipasto salad. They are all so good and bursting with flavor! Honestly, just as satisfying and delicious as a hearty meal!

Ingredients Needed

What I love about this detox salad is that itโ€™s so easy to customize with what you like or have on hand. Just a quick stop at the grocery store to load up on fresh vegetables, and you’re on your way! Cut all the veggies ahead of time and then you can assemble it later!

Salad

  • Kale: Washed and chopped.
  • Broccoli: Chop the broccoli small for the salad.
  • Red Cabbage: Thinly sliced shaved red cabbage adds crunch.
  • Carrots: Shredded carrots add pretty color and texture.
  • Green Onions:ย Thinly sliced green onions add delicious flavor.
  • Spinach:ย Chopped spinach adds more nutritious greens to the mix.
  • Pumpkin Seeds or Sunflower Seeds: Feel free to use shelled pumpkin or sunflower seeds.
  • Slivered Almonds: I love almonds, but any nuts will work in this salad.
  • Dried Cranberries: I used unsweetened for less sugar!

Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

  • Fresh Ginger:ย Fresh is always best and ginger has the best health benefits. If you don’t like ginger, feel free to use less or omit it completely.
  • Fresh Lemon Juice: Fresh squeezed lemon juice brightens the flavors and adds acidity to the vinaigrette.
  • Lemon Zest: Brings out the lemon flavor in the vinaigrette.
  • Dijon Mustard: Give the vinaigrette a creamy texture and tangy flavor.
  • Honey: Sweetens the vinaigrette. Agave or maple syrup can also be used.
  • Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Binds all of the ingredients together and the base of the vinaigrette.
  • Salt and Pepper:ย To taste.

Detox Salad Recipe

These are the ingredients I used to make this salad, but you can always mix and match with things you have in your fridge! The beauty of salads is that they taste good with so many different additions! Check out the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.

Salad

  1. Wash, Prepare, and Combine Salad Ingredients: Add all the ingredients for the salad to a large bowl.

Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

  1. Peel the Ginger: Peel the ginger then add it whole or chopped to a food processor.
  2. Blend all of the Vinaigrette Ingredients: Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, and honey to the food processor and mix until combined. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil then salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Dress the Salad and Enjoy: Toss the salad together with as much dressing as desired then serve immediately.
First photo of the vinaigrette ingredients in a food processor. Second photo of the olive oil blending into the vinaigrette. Third photo of the salad ingredients in a bowl.

Variations

This detox salad is super straightforward to make, and also so easy to switch up the flavors. This salad recipe is perfect when you are trying to add more veggies to your diet. Here are some variations to try.

  • Add Protein:ย I know this is a detox salad, but you could add some protein to make it heartier. Crumbled bacon,ย hard-boiled eggs,ย or grilled chicken breast would be delicious!
  • Switch Up the Veggies: Use any greens or combination of greens you would like for this salad! You can also use green cabbage in place of the purple cabbage. Feel free to add chopped peppers, cucumbers, or zucchini…the possibilities are endless!
  • Dried Fruit:ย Use different dried fruit like dried blueberries because they are rich in antioxidants!
  • Nuts:ย Switch up the nuts and add your favorites!
  • Dressing:ย Even though the lemon ginger vinaigrette is perfect on this detox salad, itโ€™s fun to experiment with other dressing flavors! I would recommend thisย balsamic vinaigretteย or myย apple cider vinaigrette.
Side view of the dressing pouring over the salad ingredients.

Leftover Detox Salad

If you plan on making this salad ahead of time, I recommend storing the salad and dressing separately so the greens donโ€™t wilt. I like to have all of the salad ingredients ready to go and then I assemble it right before serving.

  • In the Refrigerator:ย  Store the salad ingredients without the vinaigrette in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Once the salad has been tossed with the vinaigrette, it’s best to be eaten the same day. The leftovers may be stored for up to 24 hours, but it will get more wilted the longer it sits.
Close view of serving spoons lifting up a scoop of salad.

More Healthy Recipes to Try

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Detox Salad

4 from 1 vote
By: Alyssa Rivers
This healthy and colorful detox salad is LOADED with lots of greens and fresh veggies. The added nuts and seeds give a delicious crunch and texture to the salad. Drizzled with a lemon ginger vinaigrette, this salad has so many vibrant flavors!
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients 

Salad

  • 3 cups kale, chopped
  • 2 cups broccoli, chopped small
  • 2 cups red cabbage, shaved
  • 1 cup carrots, shredded
  • ยฝ cup green onions, sliced thin
  • 2 cups spinach, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons pumpkin or sunflower seeds
  • 2 tablespoons slivered almonds
  • ยผ cup unsweetened dried cranberries

Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

Instructions 

Salad

  • Wash and prepare the salad ingredients then add all of them to a large bowl.

Lemon Ginger Vinaigrette

  • Peel the ginger then add it whole or chopped to a food processor.
  • Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, dijon, honey to the food processor and mix until combined. With the food processor running on low, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Toss the salad together with as much dressing as desired. Serve immediately.

Nutrition

Calories: 445kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 4gFat: 40gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 28gSodium: 89mgPotassium: 506mgFiber: 5gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 8450IUVitamin C: 85mgCalcium: 152mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salad, Side Dish
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!

About Alyssa Rivers

Alyssa Rivers is the author of 'The Tried and True Cookbook', a professional food photographer and experienced recipe-developer. Having a passion for cooking, her tried and true recipes have been featured on Good Morning America, Today Food, Buzzfeed and more.

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7 Comments

  1. The salad was good, the dressing was too heavy on the olive oil. I will try with a different dressing. Thanks for the share.

  2. Hi Alyssa,
    This sounds great! Will try it when I can pick up the ingredients. As for some people who seem to love to to bring negative comments without out even trying it & apparently not intelligent enough to look up these ingredients for their worth just ignore. They’re not worth your time!

  3. 4 stars
    Sounds delicious. I’m sure it’s healthful, but curious as to what exactly this will detoxify? Can you name a single specific toxin this will eliminate from the body? I didn’t think so. Stop using this over-hyped and meaningless word, and come up with an honest title.

    1. Hi Craig. Kale, broccoli, cabbage, and spinach are all rich in sulforaphane which helps with liver detoxification and cancels out free radicals. Not that it will eliminate a single specific toxin, but helps the body with its own processes.

      1. I loved the salad and Iโ€™m a Republican but for you to bring politics into this just shows that you are a simple person