A hearty bowl of kale, sweet roasted carrots and potatoes and almonds, tossed in a sweet tahini-maple-lemon dressing and served with a side of avocado. For those days when you're needing a detox, this veggie-full salad is maybe the best meal ever.
Most every night, I find myself bemoaning the day of eating. "Tomorrow, tomorrow I'll eat better."
And I've started realizing saying "I've got to eat more veggies" is nice and all, but it's like: HOW DOES A HUMAN DO THAT?
If you don't have a plan that tastes better than the alternative, by noon the next day, it's back Belgian sugar waffles and sneaky slices of chocolate cake and "oh, well, why not eat Cocoa Pebbles for dinner?"
Not that any of those very-specific examples are REAL examples. I have no idea what it's like to cheat. No idea at all.
Nope.
None.
Except. TRUTH: Almost everyday is a cheat.
Because, TRUTH: I so rarely have something more attractive on the menu. I get lazy. I rely on quick grabs and frozen burritos and thick slices of buttered toast, because that's all I end up having time for.
So that's where this salad comes in.
A warm, hearty, comforting mix of kale and sweet roasted carrots. A bowl full of vegan goodness. Creamy avocado. A zingy lemon-tahini-maple dressing. And BAM. Who needs a Belgian Sugar Waffle? (Okay: me. I do. But I'm willing to give it up until the weekend, so long as I have this bowl of lovely in my life).
For someone who doesn't like leftovers, this bowl also wins because the kale is heart enough to taste great the next day. You can prep a bowl today, keep the potato-carrot mixture on the side. Then zap in the microwave and toss into the already-dressed kale (which gets even tastier overnight).
And thusly, Detox Bowl in tha hizzy. In the belly. And makin' for happy faces 2 days in a row.
FOOD PHOTOGRAPHY GEEK-OUT MOMENT
These images were shot with a Canon 5D Mk III paired with a SigmaArt 35mm f/1.4 lens. I love that lens. A lifestyle photog friend mentioned it was her go-to lens for family and portrait shoots, so I figured I'd give it a try. It's gorgeous. As with all the SigmaArt lenses, it's just a dream to have in your arsenal.
See my camera setup and discover even more tricks with my 90-Minute Food Photography Crash Course.
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- 6 small baby red potatoes, thinly sliced
- 6 large carrots, peeled and sliced
- 3 cloves fresh garlic, chopped
- 3 Meyer lemons
- 1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds
- 1 head purple kale, stemmed and chopped
- 1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 3 Tbsp tahini
- salt and pepper, to taste
- coconut oil or olive oil spray
- 1 ripe avocado
- 1/2 cucumber,diced