Leftover kale? Or a whole bunch of kale that you’re unsure what to do with? Creating a quick hearty sweet kale salad is the perfect way to use up a bunch of greens.
Kale can be so bitter and too chewy to eat raw, but massaging a fresh dressing into the leaves helps tenderize them and create a flavorful and less bitter bite.
The ideal salad has many ~layers of flavor~ to round it out. A tangy vinaigrette is the perfect combination of flavors and helps with tenderizing the kale. Mixing up finely chopped onions, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, herbs, and spices takes only minutes and is so much better than using a store-bought bottle of dressing.
Roasting pine nuts adds a salty nutty element to the salad. Top the rest of the kale with sweet craisins, crisp apples, and savory cheese. Serve this hearty sweet kale salad chilled and enjoy!
This salad can be kept in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Any extra dressing can be saved in the refrigerator for any other salads.
Hearty Sweet Kale Salad
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 C chopped kale
- 1/4 C toasted pine nuts
- 1/4 C cooked quinoa
- 1/2 apple, chopped
- 1/4 C dried cranberries
- 1/4 C cheese mozzarella, parmesan, or goat cheese
Dressing
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 C olive oil
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1/4 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- salt and pepper
- 2 tsp basil
- 2 tsp oregano
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa according to directions. Add pine nuts to a small skillet on low to medium heat, stirring every couple of minutes until the nuts are toasted and fragrant
- Mix ingredients for the salad dressing in a small blender or shaker, and massage over the kale
- Top the kale and dressing with the toasted pine nuts, quinoa, apple, cheese, and cranberries
- Serve chilled
If you enjoyed this salad, check out my Italian chop salad!
