Summer Kale Salad

Simple summer additions make this kale salad a warm weather staple.

Cucumbers, fruit, and fresh herbs bring out the best of summer in this quick and easy salad.  

Summer Kale Salad

Makes 1 side salad

INGREDIENTS

• 1 bunch of kale (any variety –Lacinato, Red Russian, curly, etc — you can even use collard greens!)
• 1 apple, peach, or pear, sliced thin or berries, sliced if necessary.
• 1 small cucumber, sliced.
• 1/4 cup toasted seeds or crushed nuts.
• Small handful of fresh summer herbs, chopped fine (basil, mint, parsley, etc.)
• 1 clove garlic, minced.
• 2 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 teaspoon vinegar of choice or Lemon Juice 
• 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Rib each kale leaf by holding the stem in one hand, and peeling the leaves from the stem with your other hand.  You should be left with a pile of de-stemmed leaves, and stems.  You can keep stems for a snack later (think a crunchy celery substitute that’s super healthy for you, stems are the perfect prebiotic!)  Dogs, chickens, and teething babies also like kale stems.
2. Pile kale leaves on top of each other and chop thinly, and then roughly in the opposite direction, resulting in 1-2″ long kale strips.
3. Place chopped kale in a small salad bowl.
4. Add olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice, salt, garlic, and nuts/seeds.
5. Using your hands, mix the kale briefly, until everything is well incorporated.  If using a tougher variety of kale like curly or lacinato, massaging the kale helps break it down for easier digestion.
6. Add in fruit and cucumbers and toss again.
7. Serve and enjoy!

NOTES:
This salad is best served within half an hour of mixing.  If you want to pre-make the salad, skip the mixing step until right before you serve.

Ribbing kale is not necessary, and I personally enjoy the added crunch to the salad.  Not everyone in my family agrees, however, so we often still rib it.

We love using hulled sunflower seeds in this salad.

Instead of, or in addition to, fruit, add sliced and chilled boiled or roasted beets to this salad.

Feel free to add anything else in that you’d like–sliced turnips, parmesan, etc. This recipe is meant as a guide — substitute as needed!

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