Kale Salad
Notes
Recipe Notes
To soften the kale and improve the flavor, before adding the fruit in step 1, rub the torn leaves together until the kale becomes dark green and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes, OR prepare the salad a day ahead and refrigerate.
Ingredients
8 cups chopped kale (about 1 large head)
1 can (15 ounces) fruit in 100% juice (try pears, peaches, mandarin oranges, apricots, pineapple)
½ cup 100% fruit juice, reserved from canned fruit
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper
¼ cup unsalted sunflower seeds (optional)
Instructions
- Wash kale and pat dry. Remove rib from the middle of each leaf. Chop or tear leaves into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drain and chop fruit if pieces are large. Add to kale.
- In a small bowl, combine fruit juice, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, and sunflower seeds, if desired. Mix well.
- Add dressing to the kale and fruit and stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving.
- Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours
Notes
To soften the kale and improve the flavor, before adding the fruit in step 1, rub the torn leaves together until the kale becomes dark green and fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes, OR prepare the salad a day ahead and refrigerate.
Comment
I love making kale salads. This is a great base recipe. I would also suggest a variety of vegetables that go great with this salad like roasted butternut squash, or sweet potatoes, avocado, dried fruit, and other types of seeds and nuts. The honey mustard dressing is great on kale salad too. The sweetness of the honey helps "mask" the bitterness of the kale leaves. I also love this recipe because you can make ahead and serve all week for dinner or lunches. The leaves don't get wilted even when you add the dressing.
The mandarin oranges I had in my pantry were packed in light syrup. I drained the oranges and discarded the syrup. To make the dressing, I used 100% OJ from concentrate instead. The grocery store where I usually shop does not carry a full line of canned fruit in 100% juice, so using the breakfast juice is a good option. I also felt the dressing needed a little tartness, so I added a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar.
Great way to use kale fresh from the garden and love the note about softening it! Today I was able to taste this salad along with tons of elementary students at a school lunch tasting table. Yummy and it looked great too!