If you love kale salads as much as we do, try our kale apple salad or kale caesar salad!
Why you’ll love this easy kale salad
Swoon-worthy and salad might not be two words you associate together, but they sure will be after you try this kale salad. Here are five reasons why you’ll LOVE it:
Kale: We use curly kale, but other varieties such like dinosaur kale or lacinato kale work well, too. Make sure to wash the kale leaves well and remove the hard inner stem. Boursin cheese: Goat cheese makes a nice substitute. Other ingredients: Onion, bacon, pecans, carrots, avocado, and cherry tomatoes. The dressing: white balsamic vinegar (or apple cider vinegar), honey, dijon mustard, shallot, garlic clove, olive oil, sea salt and pepper.
Making the best dressing for kale salad
Making this zesty kale salad dressing is easy. The best way to make it is to whisk the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, and garlic in a bowl. Then slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking. This will emulsify the dressing and make it a little creamy. If that sounds like too much work (and sometimes it is!), you can simply add the dressing ingredients to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and give it a good shake. It won’t be quite as creamy, but it will taste just as good.
Dried fruit: Add some dried fruit. Dried cranberries taste especially good. Fresh fruit: Add some sweetness with apple or pear slices, or try mandarin segments. Crunch: The pecans are great, but other nuts work well too. Use toasted almonds, sunflower seeds, pepitas, toasted walnuts. Or splurge and use candied hazelnuts! Cheese: Add some grated parmesan cheese for a sharper note, or swap out the Boursin for another creamy cheese. Feta cheese or blue cheese work well, or some grated sharp cheddar. Sweetness: Use maple syrup instead of honey in the dressing for an autumn flair. Citrus: Try adding a splash of fresh lemon juice for an extra bright dressing. Extra veg: Some red peppers sitting in your produce drawer? Half a cucumber waiting to get eaten? Cut up whatever is left in the fridge and throw it in! Croutons: Grab some store-bought or make some simple and delicious homemade croutons. Protein: Add a protein source, such as tofu, shrimp, roasted chickpeas, sliced steak, or bite-sized pieces of baked chicken breast.
Serve it beside roasted meats, like lemon butter roasted chicken or salmon with lemon dill sauce. It works as a textural contrast to a bowl of steaming soup, like this curried pumpkin soup. Throw it on the table next to a butternut squash pizza, lamb burgers, or bbq crockpot beef ribs. If you have any leftover kale salad, store it in an airtight container in your fridge for up to three days. If you’re meal prepping, we suggest keeping the avocado separate, adding it in fresh with each serving.
Did you make this?
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