Description
This Winter Kale Salad with homemade apple cider dressing is a flavorful salad that’s packed with hearty veggies. It’s made with massaged curly green kale, quinoa, broccoli florets, diced apple, red onions, dried cranberries, sliced celery, roasted pepitas, and feta cheese.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 6 cups packed chopped kale, ribs removed, finely chopped
- 2/3 cup dry quinoa
- 1 1/3 cups water
- 2 cups chopped fresh broccoli florets
- 2 apples, cored and diced
- 1/2 cup minced red onions
- 1/3 cup thinly sliced celery (about 1 celery rib)
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/3 cup roasted salted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
- 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (or goat cheese)
- Apple cider dressing (recipe below)
Apple Cider Dressing:
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa. Combine the dry quinoa and water in a medium pot. Bring to a rolling boil, then reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until liquid has evaporated (about 15 minutes).
- Remove from the heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.
- Make the dressing. In a jar with a fitted lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, fresh lemon juice, honey (or maple syrup if using), Dijon mustard, and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper. Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the dressing is well combined and emulsified. Don’t have a jar? Whisk everything together in a bowl until well combined.
- Massage the kale. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the prepared dressing over the kale. Use your hand to massage the dressing into the kale for 2 minutes. This helps remove the bitterness of the kale and makes it easier to eat.
- Assemble the salad. Add the cooked and cooled quinoa, chopped broccoli florets, diced apples, minced red onions, dried cranberries, thinly sliced celery, roasted pepitas, crumbled feta, and the remaining salad dressing. Toss until everything is combined.
- Chill before serving. Cover the salad and store in the fridge at least 1 hour before serving. Leftover salad will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
Notes
- How to massage kale: Add the kale to a large bowl and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the Apple Cider Dressing on the kale. Using clean hands, reach into the bowl and firmly rub, scrunch, and knead the kale between your palms and fingers. Continue to do this for 2 minutes. You’ll notice that the kale will turn a vibrant green color and reduce significantly in volume.
- Make it vegan: Use diced avocado instead of feta cheese and maple syrup or agave nectar instead of honey.
- Apple: I use Gala, Honeycrisp, or Granny Smith apples. You can substitute with 2 ripe pears if you prefer.
- Broccoli: I use raw broccoli florets. You can use roasted broccoli if you prefer.
- Red onions: You can substitute with 2 to 3 thinly sliced scallions (green onions) if you prefer.
- Dried cranberries: You can subsistute with chopped pitted dates if you prefer.
- Roasted salted pepitas: You can substitute with roasted salted sunflower seeds or toasted sliced almonds if you prefer.
- Feta cheese: You can substitute with crumbled goat cheese or freshly grated parmesan if you prefer.
- Nutritional information is a rough estimate based on 6 servings.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Chopped
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 193g
- Calories: 317
- Sugar: 13.2g
- Sodium: 159mg
- Fat: 19.2g
- Saturated Fat: 4.2g
- Unsaturated Fat: 10.6g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 30.9g
- Fiber: 4.4g
- Protein: 7.8g
- Cholesterol: 11mg