Greens & Apple Salad
2 Servings
Total time: 15 min
Adapted from Flavorful Life
This kale and spinach salad features nutrient-dense dark leafy greens, crisp apples, sharp white cheddar cheese, crunchy nuts and seeds and a lusciousdressing. Perfect for lunches and as a side.
Ingredients
1 bunch kale (curly, green, purple, Tuscan, etc), leaves removed from ribs and thinly sliced - for baby kale use .25# and you dont have to remove the rib
2 cups fresh spinach, mache, or arugula roughly chopped
1 red apple, cubed
3 oz extra sharp white cheddar cheese, cubed (sub cooked butter beans, or marinated tofu)
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
3-5 Tbsp cup hemp, pumpkin or sunflower seeds
Optional fresh herbs - ¼ cup diced parsley, oregano or thyme are suggested
Balsamic fig dressing (recipe in the link or pick some up Drench Balsamic Fig dressing in the farm stand)
Instructions
Place the kale (and mature spinach) in a large bowl and drizzle with a teaspoon of olive oil and add a pinch of salt. Using your hands rub the oil into the kale, massaging it for 3-4 minutes until softened and glossy. For baby kale massage lightly for 1 minute. Add the baby spinach leaves, apple, sharp white cheddar, walnuts and toss gently to combine.
Drizzle dressing over the salad. Add a few cracks of black pepper. DIG IN.
Notes
Switch up the fruit: this salad is amazing with fresh blueberries, dried cranberries, dried cherries and fresh or dried figs.
Add more protein: bulk up the protein in this salad by adding grilled chicken breast or shrimp, roasted chickpeas or a hard-boiled egg.
Vary the cheese: Use parmesan, unexpected cheddar, goat cheese or ahem, feta, halloumi, vegan cheese
Bulk up the veggies: other vegetables that would go beautifully on this salad include thinly sliced red onion, roasted sweet potato cubes, shredded purple cabbage, carrots or any and all fresh herbs.
