My friend gave me some beautiful kale from her garden. One look at those gorgeous, curling deep green leaves and I just had to find a great recipe.
My son prefers kale salad as opposed to cooked kale. I’ve marinated kale in garlic vinaigrette before but was feeling like sweet this time. That made me think of the kale salad-in-a-kit bags that you can get at the grocery store.
I’m not sure what the price of those are lately but assume it’s high. Pretty sure it would be more economical to buy the ingredients separately and make a few batches of sweet kale salad.
The kit includes kale, cabbage slaw with bits of carrot, and possibly cucumber (but that seems like something more perishable that you would add yourself just before serving).
You also get a little packet of sweet poppy seed dressing and sealed baggie containing craisins, sunflower seeds and nuts.
Excited for kale salad and craving something sweet, tangy, crunchy and healthy, I made a beeline for ShopRite. If you prefer to order your kale salad kit from Amazon, here you go!
First order of business, grab a package of slaw mix. If you want to go the frugal route, just get a head of cabbage and pick up a few carrots if you don’t already have one or two ready at home in the crisper.
You could also add a cucumber; I got English because they don’t have seeds… or if they do, the seeds are very tiny.
For the dressing, head over to the salad dressing aisle in the cold produce section. Where I live you can get Marzetti’s poppy seed dressing which is perfect, an exact replica of what you get with the kale salad kit.
Finally, you’ll want some healthy craisins, nuts and seeds for your topping. Sunflower seeds that are salted and toasted make a nice contrast to the sweet and tangy dressing.
(I could do without the craisins. For me this is a sweet enough side dish. But if you are a huge fan, by all means, get the craisin combo.)
To make the salad, wash and pat dry the kale using clean paper towels or one of those lint-free cotton cloths. Remove the ribs and discard. Place the kale leaves in a big bowl and use kitchen shears to cut up into bite-sized pieces.
Add some of the cabbage slaw… as much or as little you like. And some of the poppy seed dressing. Mix well, and if you think it needs more dressing then just add a little more. I don’t like things too sweet so I balanced my dressing with a bit of olive oil and vinegar.
Place your kale salad in a container with lid in the refrigerator to marinate for several hours. Just before serving, grate in some cucumber. Top with seeds and craisins. Serve as a side to nice burgers on the grill or some other meat dish.
It’s a good idea not to skip the marinating part because raw kale can be difficult to digest. The marinating facilitates breakdown.
Enjoy your delicious and healthy kale salad!