I had a giant bunch of kale sitting in my fridge, so obviously I was going to make an awesome salad to share with you all! This salad is packed with some amazing ingredients that are full of so many wonderful health benefits. What’s really awesome about this dish is that there are endless possibilities when it comes to toppings, I went down the more traditional route, but feel free to mix it up and get creative.
Kale
Contains carotenoids and flavonoids which are super powerful antioxidants
Anti-Inflammatory and contains a huge amount of vitamin K which helps fight illness
Helps to naturally detox the body
One cup of kale provides about 88% of you daily vitamin C
Apples
May prevent Alzheimers
Lowers Cholesterol
Helps protect the body against cancers such as lung, breast, colon and liver
Aids in wight loss
Dried Cranberries
Low in fat
Good source of dietary fiber
Low in calories
Contains vitamin E- an antioxidant that helps fight free radicals
Total Prep Time: 30 min.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch of kale torn into bite size pieces
- 1/2 cup of pecans
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 4 tbs olive oil
- 2 large pinches of salt
- Pepper to taste
- 1 apples chopped into bite size pieces
- Any cheese of your choice (ricotta, mozzarella, cottage)
- 1 tbs Balsamic vinegar
- Juice from half a lime
Gather your ingredients, then wash kale thoroughly, tear into bite size pieces and place in a salad spinner to reduce the amount of excess water. If you don’t have a salad spinner you can place the leaves on paper towels and pat dry.
Once the kale is dry it must be massaged in order to tenderize the leaves. To do this place the torn kale in a large bowl and squeeze half a lime/lemon and add two large pinches of salt, then start showing your kale some love. Gently rub the salt and lime/lemon juice into the kale leaves for about 4-5 min. until the leaves being to soften, make sure not to over do it or the leaves will wilt, become limp and lose their crunchy texture.
After you’ve massaged your kale you can add in the pecans, chopped apple, cranberries, olive oil, pepper and balsamic vinegar, stir well to combine.
Place salad in a serving dish and dollop with the cheese of your choice, enjoy!
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Aya Owies graduated from Rutgers University in 2013 and she currently lives in the New Jersey area. She is a certified yoga instructor and has a passion for healthy and simple cooking. She loves experimenting with new ingredients and recipes and considers the kitchen her creative space.
