HEARTY KALE SALAD

Hearty kale salad with Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, dried cranberries and a zesty mayo dressing to boot. A sweet and crunchy bite even my pickiest eater devoured.

WHAT TYPE OF KALE TO USE FOR KALE SALAD

There are several varieties of kale but lets focus on the two you are likely to fine at the grocery store. Common curly kale and Lacinato kale. As you can see below, the curly kale is pale to dark green with ruffled leaves. Lacinato kale on the other hand has more of a dark greenish blue color with leaves that are more wrinkled than ruffled. For this salad we are using the curly kale. Lacinto kale packs a little more bite. With a more robust flavor it is best to saute, use in soups or in this kale chips recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR KALE SALAD

You can easily make this salad a main meal. Ingredients were curated with macros in mind.

• Cauliflower– This edible flower brings in a sweet crunchy bite alongside its richness in vitamins and folate
• Brussels Sprouts– I must confess my kids dislike these with a passion. Keeping it raw and shredded like we did here, is a game changer! They will never know! They are rich in vitamins, minerals and thus some anti-inflammatory properties.
• Dried Cranberries– That chewy bite of sweetened cranberries adds to the different textures which brings this salad together.
• Hemp hearts-Bringing in some good fats and protein
• Red Onion– Adds a little punch to balance the sweetness from the dried cranberries and the salad dressing.

HOW TO PREPARE SALAD INGREDIENTS

The most labor intensive part of this salad is the chopping. Once that is all done, all you do is throw ingredients into a salad bowl and mix.

Kale- We are using a food processor to do all the work for us. Start by thoroughly washing your kale, remove the tough midrib and dry. Transfer a handful at a time into a food processor and pulse into small shreds. Now you’ve probably heard people say, ” massage the kale”, especially if you are using very mature leaves. This makes all the good fiber easy to digest and definitely tastier. Here we drizzle a little avocado oil, a pinch of salt and with clean hands give them a good firm rub between the fingers and palm. Do this for a couple of minutes or so.

Cauliflower– Cut curds into small chunks and pulse in the food processor. Almost the same consistency as cauliflower rice

Brussels Sprouts– Remove the tough ends, cut into halves and pulse into small shreds.

Red Onion and Craisins– Finely chop both to a similar size as the other ingredients.

Alternatively, you can use the shredding blade on your food processor to make this a shredded salad. You can also use a mandoline slice

THE SALAD DRESSING

This dressing is my all time favorite, a little tangy with just the right amount of sweetness. This is the main reason my daughters enjoy this salad, and we sure are very generous with it.

Mayonnaise – We are using real mayo but if you’re vegan follow your heart vegenaise is a great substitute

Honey Ginger Balsamic– Any white balsamic vinegar will work but this has the sweetness with a little kick from the ginger.

Lemon Juice– An essential to balance out our mayo. Alternatively, you can also use distilled vinegar.

Yellow mustard– The sharpness complements the sweetness of the balsamic vinegar.

Cane sugar– The sweetness marries well, not only with the other components of the dressing but also the robustness of the kale.

MAKE IT YOUR OWN

There are so many ways you can revamp this recipe. Bring in other sources of proteins, fats and so much more. The options are endless but here are a few of our favorites.

Protein : Roasted chickpeas, Tofu crumbles

Carbs: Orzo, Couscous, roasted sweet potatoes

Fats: Avocado, nuts, pumpkin seeds, feta or parmesan cheese

This salad is one of the easiest way to use all those cool season produce to make something amazing. Hope you get to savor it as much as we do. Enjoy, and do share with us what you’ve been enjoying from the afrovitalityeats kitchen.