I love salads all year round. And I love the more bitter and pungent tasting greens. So this kale salad is a winner.

I load my salads up with a variety of vegetables to keep it interesting. This salad has some of my favorites in it, like chickpeas (garbanzo beans), artichoke hearts, roasted peppers, pumpkin seeds, kalamata olives, and quinoa on a bed of purple kale topped with balsamic vinaigrette.

I get so excited when I know I’m going to have a yummy meal. I genuinely LOVE food!

What I love about kale is it is a cruciferous vegetable. I love broccoli and Brussels sprouts but for some reason I don’t eat them everyday. Mixing it up with kale or arugula makes it easier to get my daily dose of sulphoraphane, a potent protector against cancer.

Kale is a good source of plant protein, fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, folate, B vitamins, omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and minerals like calcium (for strong bones) and zinc (for healing).

Bell peppers are high in a variety of antioxidants, especially carotenoids, and are abundant in phenolic acids, flavonoids, and vitamin C. They’re good for your eyes, heart, and control blood sugar. If you want to learn more about how to roast red peppers you can refer to my post here.

Chickpeas, also known as garbanzo beans, are high in fiber, iron, and magnesium. They are one of the foods common to all five Blue Zones, areas of the world with the healthiest and oldest populations. They’re a great source of plant-based protein and they protect against heart disease, diabesity, and cancer. I did an earlier post about roasted chickpeas you can access here.

Pumpkin seeds are a great stand in for nuts. They add crunchiness and they’re a great source of magnesium, a mineral we need as a cofactor for nearly 300 different pathways in our bodies.

Quinoa (pronounced keen-wa) is actually a seed, though most people think of it and use it as a grain. It is a complete source of protein, something that is important for plant-based eaters like myself, and a good source of magnesium, iron, and healthy fatty acids.

Kalamata olives are a goods source of healthy fats, fiber, anti-oxidants, polyphenols, and a variety of vitamins and minerals. However, because they are mostly fat, you’ll want to be mindful of the amount you put on your salad.