A vibrant and colourful salad that’s so full of flavour, this light and refreshing Kale Salad makes a stunning addition to your Holiday menu.
In most parts of the Northern Hemisphere, the Holiday Menu consists of warm and hearty mains and sides. Not here. In Australia, we’re smack bang in the middle of summer at the moment. And while a lot of households will have a roast of some sort, a lot of the food made for the day is light and fresh. At this time of the year, the weather is beautiful and everyone wants to enjoy the outdoors and spend time with family. No one wants to spend the day slaving away in the kitchen.
And while most of the meal is usually meticulously planned, it sometimes happens that a salad in thrown together in a hurry. You don’t want to do that. A salad is light, refreshing and can be healthy, if you choose to make it that way. This Kale Salad that I’m going to share with you today ticks all those boxes.
And while a lot of folks don’t often enjoy Kale in any form, let alone in a salad, wait till you see this one. There’s very little prep involved. However, with a little attention, the Kale leaves get tender and super delicious. And the dressing is light and simple but so flavourful. This is one of my all-time favourite salads.
Can this salad be made in advance?
Most of the prep for this salad can be done a day ahead, with just the final touches and assembly done on the day you intend to serve it up.
The process of de-stemming (is that even a word? Let’s pretend that it is) the Kale and tear the leaves is probably what takes the longest. And this bit can be done on the previous day. You can also make your dressing a day or two ahead. Just make sure you whisk it all together before you dress the salad.
The rest of the salad comes together in a few minutes.
So let’s take a look at the recipe now, shall we?
Kale Salad
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy4
servings20
minutesA vibrant and colourful salad that’s so full of flavour, this light and refreshing Kale Salad makes a stunning addition to your Holiday menu.
Ingredients
- For the salad –
4-6 stalks of Kale
1 large carrot (or 2 small carrots), grated
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
1/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
1/4 cup dried cranberries
- For the dressing –
1/2 clove of garlic, finely chopped / grated
2 teaspoons Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/4 teaspoon Hot English mustard
1/4 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Directions
- Prep the kale by tearing away the thick stalk in the middle of each leaf and tearing the leafy greens into smaller pieces. Wash and drain well. Place in a large bowl and set aside.
- Mix all the ingredients for the salad dressing till well incorporated. Check for seasoning and adjust as needed.
- Pour a tablespoon of the dressing over the prepped kale leaves and massage the leaves for 2-3 minutes. At the end of this 2-3 massage, all the leaves should appear a nice vibrant green and should be covered with all the dressing. If the leaves feel too dry while massaging, add another spoonful of the dressing and continue the process.
- Now add all the other ingredients to the bowl. Drizzle a little more of the dressing over the salad as needed and toss well. Serve up.
Recipe Video
