With the summer season upon us, here at Cultivate we are starting to see delicious summer veggies coming to the fore and providing us with some fantastic options for salads. Here's an easy easy kale salad featuring fresh veggies and a super simple homemade lemon dressing, making it perfect as a healthy side dish or light lunch!
Ingredients
5 cups chopped kale
1-2 tsp olive oil
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups chopped broccoli
1/2 cup sliced almonds
1/4-1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup cranberries
Lemon Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp sweetener of choice (honey, agave, sugar, etc...)
Optional Extras
1/4-1/2 cup cheese (cheddar, feta, or goat cheese)
1-2 tsp poppy seeds
extra veggies
Instructions
First make your dressing by combining ingredients above in a lidded mason jar then shake well to emulsify. Dip a kale leaf in the dressing and adjust sweetener, salt, and pepper to taste. You can make this dressing as sweet or tart as your heart desires! I like mine a bit tart and even add a little lemon zest to the dressing. To reduce tartness, simply add a little extra sweetness, to taste.
Next massage your chopped kale with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderise. This makes it taste great and gives the kale a silky texture!
In a large bowl, combine massaged kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries.
Shake your dressing once more and pour about 1/3 of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat and add extra dressing, to taste. Enjoy!
Recipe Notes Skipping the optional cheese will make this salad both vegan and paleo.