a kale orange wreath salad is the perfect holiday salad. filled with oranges, pistachios, pomegranate seeds, and vegan feta it has so much incredible flavor.
the inspiration
Seasonal salads are so much fun to make. It is so interesting to see how a salad changes from summer to winter. The produce is different and ultimately sometimes we want different things from our salads in different seasons.
So, when I was thinking about a winter salad the first thing that came to mind was citrus. I love orange in salads and if pairs so well with kale.
Then, I thought it would be fun to turn it into something resembling a wreath to give it a bit of a look. When paired with our tahini orange dressing this whole salad is sure to be a hit.
the ingredients
- Kale: we of course need some kale for our kale orange wreath salad. I just buy the typical kale in a bag it makes it easier because it already comes chopped and washed. You can of course get whole pieces of kale and do it yourself as well.
- Oranges: I am using Navel oranges. You can also use cara cara or any other oranges you like. You can even do clementines or mandarins. We will use these to decorate the salad and in the salad dressing.
- Vegan Feta: the vegan feta has tang and creaminess that compliments the whole salad well. I like Follow Your Heart.
- Pomegranate Seeds: pomegranate seeds are just so beautiful and of course seasonal.
- Pistachio: the pistachios add nice crunch and texture to the salad.
- Tahini: we will use tahini as the base of our salad dressing.
- Maple Syrup: the maple syrup adds some sweetness to the dressing. You can swap it for agave, coconut nectar, or anything else you like to use.
- Salt & Pepper: we will use this add some seasoning and flavor to our salad.
preparing the ingredients for the kale orange wreath salad
- Make sure your kale is cleaned, chopped, and ready to go.
- Massage the kale with your hands for about 3 to 5 minutes. It will look much darker and shrink in size. This helps to break down the kale and make it much more enjoyable to eat.
- Slice the orange in half.
- Then, cut the half into wedges. You want 8-10 pieces total.
- If there is any white or pith cut that off to remove it.
- Carefully, take a knife and cut between the pith and the flesh to remove an orange segment. Repeat until all pieces are done.
the tahini orange dressing
The dressing is very easy to make. You will either want a small blender or an immersion blender to help the tahini come out creamy.
Just add in the tahini, maple syrup, juice from part of the orange, and salt and pepper. Then blend until it is thick and creamy. The dressing tastes so delicious and adds so much nice flavor to the salad.
salad presentation
When it comes time to decorating and presenting your salad I think the wreath idea is so cute. It also only takes minutes to come together.
First, you will add about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the salad dressing to the kale. Toss to coat. Then, pour the rest into a small bowl. Set that on top of the middle of your serving place.
To create the wreath first fill the whole dish with the kale. Then, place the orange pieces around in a circle. Finally, add the pomegranate seeds, pistachios, and vegan feta. You can either serve the salad with the dressing in the middle or you can remove it. Either way looks gorgeous!
why you’ll love this salad
I think this salad is the perfect embodiment of seasonal winter produce. We are using delicious ingredients that make a big impact!
The other element is just taking a few extra minutes to make a gorgeous presentation. This helps make the salad feel special and beautiful. Of course you do not need to make it in a wreath if you don’t want to. It will look beautiful on a platter.
The flavors are delicious and I love any excuse to eat a good salad!
more christmas recipes
kale orange wreath salad faq
Is this recipe allergy friendly?
It does contain nuts. You can leave the nuts out and swap them for hemp hearts or pepitas. Otherwise, it is gluten and soy free.
I don’t like tahini, what can I use as a substitute?
I promise the tahini in this tastes amazing. It make the dressing creamy and delicious. However, if you want to swap it you can try using a little mustard to make creamy or honestly just some olive oil.
How long do the leftovers last?
I wouldn’t recommend more than 1-2 days in the fridge. Everything starts to become a bit soggy after that. While kale holds up better than an iceberg lettuce it still starts to get soft with the dressing sitting on it.
How can I prepare this salad ahead of time?
This is a great thing to prepare ahead of time. Just leave the dressing off the salad completely, don’t add any to the kale before plating it. Then, you can drizzle the dressing over top before serving. I would also leave the nuts off and sprinkle them on right before serving. I wouldn’t prep this more than 8-10 hours in advance.
over 75 amazing vegan recipes
Get My Cookbook, Plantiful!
“A fantastic cookbook that stands by itself outside a specific vegan genre. Inspirational and well thought out. I especially liked the early sections which have a great deal of explanation, clearly a lot of thought has gone into every page. If you are a vegan, vegetarian or just looking at adding in different ideas you should be this book! Essential for any kitchen library.”
Kale Orange Wreath Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
Kale Orange Salad
- 2 to 3 cups chopped kale enough to fill your plate
- 1 navel orange removed from skin and cut into segements
- ¼ cup vegan feta
- ⅓ cup pistachios
- 10 tablespoons pomegranate arils
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Salad Dressing
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons grade-A maple syrup
- ¼ cup juice, fresh from an orange ½ orange
- Salt & black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Massage the kale with your hands for about 3 to 5 minutes. It will look much darker and shrink in size. This helps to break down the kale and make it much more enjoyable to eat.
- Slice the orange in half. Then, cut the half into wedges. You want 8-10 pieces total. If there is any white or pith cut that off to remove it. Carefully, take a knife and cut between the pith and the flesh to remove an orange segment. Repeat until all pieces are done.
- Prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients into a small blender. Blend until creamy and smooth. If you need some extra liquid add in a few teaspoons of water. Taste and add in salt and pepper to your liking.
- Then, add a ¼ teaspoon of salt and pepper to the kale. Along with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the dressing.
- Pour the rest of the dressing into a small bowl. Place on the center of a plate.
- Then, start to build the salad wreath. First, put down all the kale around in a circle. Then, add the orange segments in a circle. Finally, sprinkle the vegan feta, pistachios, and pomegranate seeds all around.
- When ready to serve you can either leave the dressing in the middle or remove it. Pour the dressing over top of the salad, and enjoy.
Video
Notes
- Nutrition facts are based on my gram measurements put into Cronometer. Yours may vary, they are to help you get an idea.
- Please do not repost recipes without my permission. Sharing a direct link is always highly encouraged and appreciated.
- For any questions you may have please refer to the FAQ above the recipe card.
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe? Tag me on Instagram @plantifullybased to let me know how it went. If you enjoyed this recipe please be sure to leave a comment or review, it is so helpful for the blog. Thank you!
Plantifully Based® is part of the Amazon Affiliate Partner Program. Links on here may be from Amazon or other affiliate programs. If you decide to purchase through a link I will receive a small commission. This helps to run the blog and make more recipes.
hey there!
Hey, I’m Francesca!
Thank you for checking out my recipe! I am happy to have you here and hope you explore more delicious vegan recipes.
Leave a Reply