Deb's Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans

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Deb's Kale Salad with Apple, Cranberries and Pecans

This hearty, holiday-worthy raw kale salad is made with chopped Granny Smith apple, cranberries, toasted pecans and goat cheese, tossed in a zippy honey mustard dressing. It's both vegetarian and gluten free. Recipe yields 4 to 6 salads.

330 kcal /serving 5 min Serves 4 Easy American Vegetarian

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup pecan halves
  • 8 oz kale (I used regular curly green kale, but Deb recommends Cavolo Nero or Lacinato, Dinosaur or Tuscan Kale)
  • 4 to 5 medium radishes
  • 1/2 cup dried cranberries or dried cherries
  • 1 medium Granny Smith apple
  • 2 oz soft goat cheese, chilled
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
  • 1 tbsp smooth Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp honey or maple syrup
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preparation

Not specified

Cooking

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans on a baking tray.
  2. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly.
  3. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
  4. Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems.
  5. Use a chef’s knife to chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces.
  6. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl.
  7. Sprinkle a pinch of salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.
  8. Thinly slice the radishes (this is easier to do if you first chop off the root end so you can place the base of the radish flat against your cutting board).
  9. Add them to the bowl.
  10. Coarsely chop the pecans and cranberries and add them to the bowl.
  11. Chop the apple into small, bite-sized pieces and add it to the bowl.
  12. Use a fork to crumble the goat cheese over the top.
  13. In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the salad.
  14. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing.
  15. Serve immediately, or for even better flavor, let the salad marinate for 10 to 20 minutes beforehand.
  16. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 4 days.

Plating & Serving

Not specified

Suggested Sides

Nutrition per Serving

330 Calories
5.8g Protein 5% DV
29.1g Carbs 10% DV
23.3g Fat 30% DV
6.0g Fiber 16% DV
21.9g Sugars
287mg Sodium 19% DV
7mg Cholesterol 2% DV
Health Labels Kidney Friendly Vegetarian Pescatarian Gluten Free Wheat Free Egg Free Peanut Free Soy Free Fish Free Shellfish Free Pork Free Red Meat Free Crustacean Free Celery Free Sesame Free Lupine Free Mollusk Free Alcohol Free Kosher

* Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

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Recipe Details
Category salad
Meal Type Lunch
Tags healthy, quick, fresh