Okay, I have to confess. The first time I made this Twelve Superfoods Salad, it was mostly—honestly? Because I had bits and bobs left in the fridge, and there was a weird health-kick going around our house. My partner had declared war on potato chips, the kids kept eyeing my kale with suspicion, and I was desperate for anything that made me feel just a bit more like those people you see in magazine spreads—fresh-faced, bowls of colorful stuff in hand. Did it work? Maybe not exactly. But, if you squint, you might just catch me beaming with pride when I toss this together (which, side note, is a real upper-body workout if you go all in).

Why You’ll Love This Salad (and probably make it more than once)

I make this when our dinner plans fall apart, or I’m just tired of answering the eternal “what’s for lunch?”. My family goes a bit bonkers for it because it’s got enough crunch and color to be interesting, but it’s not one of those salads that’s just… leaves. You know what I mean. The mix changes each time (I’ve had to sub in dried cranberries when I ran out of blueberries—no one complained). I’ve come to actually look forward to massaging kale, as odd as that sounds; it’s kind of therapeutic, and it wilts down so beautifully. (Confession: I used to fear raw kale, but hey, people change.)

What’s in the Bowl? My Usual Suspects (and Honest Substitutes)

Kale — about 4 big handfuls, destemmed. I sometimes use baby spinach when I forget to buy kale—it’s not the end of the world.
Baby spinach — a big handful. If you’ve only got arugula, go wild.
Red cabbage — thinly sliced, roughly a mug’s worth. My grandmother always swore by purple cabbage, but green is fine, don’t stress.
Broccoli — florets cut small, about 1 cup. Raw or lightly blanched, your call.
Blueberries — half a cup; dried cranberries or pomegranate seeds work in a pinch.
Carrot — grated, about 1 medium-sized, and, yes, bagged matchsticks work if you’re lazy (been there).
Avocado — one, diced. Skip if you must, but I never do.
Quinoa — half a cup cooked and cooled. Sometimes I just fling in leftover brown rice.
Pumpkin seeds (pepitas) — a small handful. Sunflower seeds also fair game.
Chickpeas — 1 can, drained. Or roast them if you want a crunchier bite, but sometimes I can’t be bothered!
Cherry tomatoes — a handful, halved. Or, honestly, chop up a big tomato if that’s what you have.
Feta cheese — about a third cup, crumbled. Goat cheese, or leave out for dairy-free friends.
Dressing (the lazy version): Olive oil, lemon juice, a dollop of Dijon, and a drizzle of honey. Salt, pepper. That’s it.

How I Pull It All Together

Start with the kale and spinach. I tear the kale into bits (no science here) and pop it in the largest bowl I have. Toss in the spinach, too. A glug of olive oil and a squeeze of lemon—then I actually use my hands to squish it all in. Massaging the kale makes it taste less tough, and I swear it’s worth the sticky fingers. Don’t skip this. Actually, you can, but it won’t be as nice.
Toss in the chopped stuff—cabbage, broccoli, grated carrot, tomatoes. I usually try to get everything bite-sized but it’s not the end of the world if something’s chunkier. This is where I sneak a taste to see if it needs more crunch.
Stir in the goodies—chickpeas, cooled quinoa (or rice), blueberries, pepitas. Give it a good toss. This is when it starts looking a little chaotic, but trust me, it’ll come together.
Add the cheese and avocado last, to avoid them getting totally squished. Gently fold them in. Don’t worry if the avocado gets a bit smushed; it makes it creamier, I think.
Dress it up. Whisk together olive oil, lemon, Dijon, honey, salt, and pepper in a mug (I use a fork, nothing fancy). Pour over the salad, toss again, and you’re done. And if you like it more zingy, just up the lemon juice a smidge.

Random Notes From My Kitchen

The salad is forgiving. Forgot the feta? Add a squeeze more lemon.
If your kale seems a bit sad or limp, don’t panic—a quick soak in cold water perks it right up (thank you, internet, for that tip).
I tried using red onion once and, yeah, it overwhelmed the other flavors. Maybe leave it out, or go for green onions if you miss the bite.

Variations I’ve Stumbled Upon (& One I’d Avoid)

Once I tossed in roasted sweet potatoes. Good move. It became a meal.
I swapped out chickpeas for grilled halloumi—no complaints from the cheese lovers.
Attempted to add apple slices, but they kind of turned to mush (maybe I’m just too heavy-handed with tossing?).

Stuff You Might (or Might Not) Need

If you have a gigantic salad bowl, great! But honestly, I’ve made this in a mixing bowl, a large pot, even an ice cream tub—no one cares. Salad tongs look nice, but a couple of big spoons work fine. If you have none of the above, just, um, wash your hands well. I won’t tell.

Keeping It Fresh (But Really, Don’t Expect Leftovers)

Supposedly, this keeps 2 to 3 days in the fridge if you leave off the avocado and cheese till serving. But, between you and me, it rarely makes it past a day—especially if anyone spies it during a midnight fridge raid. If it does sit overnight, I think the flavors actually get better, sorta like they’ve had a good natter overnight in the bowl. Just give it a stir before serving.

How I Like to Serve It (But You Do You)

At home, we pile this high in shallow bowls, sometimes throwing a poached egg on top (breakfast salad anyone?). My youngest likes hers with extra honey drizzled on top, which I raised an eyebrow to at first, but hey—whatever works. Once, for a BBQ, I served this with grilled shrimp and it was a hit. Good with crusty bread, too, especially if you snag something from a proper baker like King Arthur Baking.

Things I Wish I Knew Sooner (Pro-ish Tips)

I once rushed the kale massage step and regretted it; the salad was like chewing a hedge.
Taste the dressing before you pour it on (learned this the hard way, after absentmindedly going heavy on the honey).
If you sprinkle in seeds, toss them right before serving or they can get a bit soft.

Your Burning Questions

Can I make this without kale? Oh, absolutely. Use spinach, arugula, or whatever greens you fancy… just maybe don’t use iceberg. Learned that one the hard way—too watery!

Does it work for meal prep? Yes, kind of! Just keep the avocado and cheese out till just before eating. If you want more tips, I like the meal prep section at Downshiftology.

Can I add meat? Go for it. Shredded chicken, leftover steak, grilled tofu—it’s pretty versatile. (My brother insists rotisserie chicken is the best.)

What if I hate quinoa? Oh man, me too, sometimes. Brown rice, bulgur wheat, or even barley work. Actually, couscous was a tad too mushy in my opinion.

Any shortcuts? Pre-grated carrot, those microwave quinoa packs, and pre-chopped kale bags. In fact, see Bon Appetit’s piece on bagged salads for some honestly good hacks.

Right, I think that’s everything for now! Give this a go, tweak it to your taste, and, if you come up with an even better variation, let me know (I could always use another excuse to skip the chips).