• Home
  • Eat
    • Breakfast
    • Appetizers
    • Main Dishes
      • Chicken
      • Beef
      • Seafood
      • Healthy Dishes
      • Paleo Dishes
      • Salads
    • Desserts
      • Decorated Cookies
      • Cookies
      • Bars and Brownies
      • Cakes and Cupcakes
  • Shop
    • Cookie Decorating Supplies
    • Bakeware
    • Cookware
    • Kitchen Gadgets
    • House
  • About
    • Contact
    • Bucket List
  • Cookie Decorating 101

Follow the Ruels

Berry Quinoa and Kale Salad

March 23, 2016

Kale-SaladB-1

I have been posting so many cookie and cake recipes lately I thought I should break it up and post something a bit healthier. Even I am starting to get a stomach ache from reading all these sugar-filled posts (yet as I write this, I am eating left over birthday cake)! So what better recipe to lighten things up than a kale salad? 

I know kale isn’t everyone’s favorite. I only tolerate it because it is so healthy and I know I am being good to my body by eating it. That is, until recently when I finally figured out how to prepare kale for salads that makes kale more than tolerable…it actually makes it taste pretty good!

Kale Salad-1

I learned this trick from a friend of mine who always makes the best salads. Her trick to making kale edible is to massage the kale with lemon juice and letting it sit for about 10 minutes before adding on the extra toppings. Pretty high maintenance, I know…but it really makes a difference! The lemon juice helps to break down and tenderize the kale, plus it adds some extra, much-needed flavor. 

Now my trick to making kale tolerable is to pile on all my favorite salad toppings like avocado, strawberries, and goat cheese. 

Kale Salad-3

The best part is that each of these toppings is delicious on their own but they all have their own super power making this salad extra healthy!

Kale is packed with lots of fiber and is incredibly nutrient rich. Avocado and walnuts are loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids. Strawberries and blackberries are an excellent source of vitamin C. Chickpeas and quinoa are a great way to get some protein. And goat cheese adds some calcium to the party. 

Kale Salad-5

Because there are so many flavors going on with the toppings, I didn’t want to over power the salad with a heavy dressing. I made a simple vinegrette with honey, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. It added the perfect amount of sweetness to cut through kale’s bitterness, and just a hint of acidity. 

Kale Salad-6

This will surely be one of my go-to salads to make for lunch this Spring and Summer. It is light and refreshing, but is still hearty enough to make a complete meal. As different fruits and berries come into season, this salad is easily adaptable to other yummy ingredients.

What’s your favorite way to eat kale?

[amd-yrecipe-recipe:10]

 

 

   

/ Filed In: Eat, Healthy Dishes
Tagged: berries, kale, quinoa, salad

This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you follow a link and purchase the item I may receive a small commission. Each and every penny earned goes back into the creating recipes to share on the blog.

Comments

  1. Anita @ LiveLikeYouAreRich says

    March 31, 2016 at 1:01 am

    This looks delicious! Thanks for sharing at The Pin Junkie Pin Party.

  2. Rebecca says

    April 7, 2016 at 5:10 pm

    That looks delicious. Thank you for the suggestion on how to make kale more appealing. I know it is super-healthy and I will sometimes have it in salads in restaurants, but at home I can usually only stand to use it in smoothies.

    • followtheruels says

      April 7, 2016 at 8:33 pm

      I know. Kale is so tricky. I could never make my own kale salad until I learned this trick.

Follow

Hey There!

Hey there, I'm Lindsey. I'm a number cruncher by day and a home cook and baker by night. While I love to eat healthy and find fresh and healthy alternatives for my favorite foods, I will never turn down dessert! Life is all about moderation, right?

Recipes

  • All Recipes
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Salads
  • Main Dishes
  • Side Dishes
  • Desserts
  • Drinks

Favorite Finds

[show_lookbook_widget id=”388783″]

Theme by 17th Avenue · Powered by WordPress & Genesis