I used to think that kale was only for cooking. I enjoyed it in soups, steamed, sauteed, or as kale chips. The only way I used it raw was in smoothies. Then I made an amazing discovery; kale is actually delicious in salads. The first time I experienced it that way was at my Mom’s house. Since then I have experimented with my own salads using it. This kale salad recipe is excellent for autumn meals.
- 6-8 leaves of kale, I like to use both green and red curly kale
- 1/4 small red or green cabbage
- 1 medium red or sweet onion
- 1-2 carrots, grated
- 1 red bell pepper (optional)
- 1 small cucumber (optional)
- cooked chopped chicken(optional)
- 1 cup your choice of Thai peanut or honey mustard dressing. (see recipes below)
- Remove large ribs from kale leaves and chop the leaves into small pieces.
- Grate the carrots. Chop all other vegetables.
- If bell peppers and cucumbers are still in season they make a nice addition, but the real star of this salad is the crunchy kale.
- Add chicken if desired to make it a meal on it own.
- Add enough dressing of your choice to nicely coat everything.
- Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to several hours before serving to allow flavors to blend and the kale to soften a bit.
Honey Mustard Dressing
2 Tbsp. yellow mustard
2 Tbsp. honey
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
dash of salt and pepper
Combine mustard, honey and cider vinegar. Whisk until honey is dissolved. Add olive oil and whisk until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Thai Peanut Dressing
1/6 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/8 cup water
1 tsp. sugar or honey
1 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 tsp. ginger powder or 1/2 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger
1/4 tsp sea salt
1/8 cup fresh cilantro chopped
dash of cayenne pepper
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
Combine all ingredients. Whisk until well blended.
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