My Very Favorite Kale Salad

See the yumminess!

Is it weird that one of my very favorite things right now is kale salad? I just can’t stop going on and on and on about it. Very few people wax poetic about kale salad, but apparently I fall into that special and select group. I was being given crap the other day about how “healthy” kale is (like that’s a bad thing!) and I declared that I loved this salad because it tastes good. It’s not very often that you hear that about a salad. I first had this salad at cooking club and fell in love there. I love the edamame, the cranberries and the tangy zip from the homemade salad dressing. But kale is super healthy - This superfood is not just a passing thing. Kale is jam-packed with nutrients and health-promoting components.. Per calorie, kale has more iron than beef, more calcium than milk and 10x more Vitamin C than spinach. It is low in calories and carbs and high in vitamins and antioxidants. One serving of kale provides 5% of the recommended daily intake of fiber (statistics taken from here) Then when you add in chickpeas, edamame and almonds, the nutrition factor just skyrockets. 

So when I tell you to try this salad, do it because it’s tasty and love it because it’s super good for you!

Ingredients

Dressing

• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon Mustard
• 2 tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon Honey
• 3 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

Salad

• 4 cups torn kale, ribs removed (this is about 4 ounces of kale)
• Half a (15-ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 2/3 cup dried cranberries
• 1 cup edamame beans, cooked and cooled
• Mint (use dried if you don’t have herbs on hand)
• Basil (use dried if you don’t have herbs on hand)
• A few carrot shreds
• Cherry tomatoes
• Sliced or slivered almonds

Instructions

1. Add all dressing ingredients to a large salad bowl and whisk until combined.
2. Into the bowl throw the kale, chickpeas, cranberries and edamame. Mince a handful of mint and a handful of basil leaves and toss them in, along with some carrot shreds, if available.
3. Toss salad well to combine, and garnish with cherry tomatoes and almonds.

Sometimes I double the dressing recipe because I like it that much. :)

I am usually adamantly opposed to dressing a salad prior to consumption. But letting the dressing sit on the kale allows the kale to soften some and really soak in the flavors. Delicious!