This Sweet Kale Salad served with a Citrus Vinaigrette is so light and refreshing. It is easy to make and comes together in just 20 minutes. The perfect anytime side dish!
This light and refreshing Sweet Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette is easy to make and takes just 20 minutes. Filled with tons of yummy ingredients like dried cranberries and pumpkin seeds. It is sure to be a hit amongst the entire family!
Growing up I really only took my salad one way romaine, croutons, carrots, cucumbers, cheese and ranch. When I say ranch I mean LOT’S OF RANCH. Like, want some salad with that ranch? Type of deal.
Now days I love a big salad with lot’s of the healthy good stuff in it and let’s just say I’m a major kale fan. Packed with crunchy veggies, dried cranberries, pumpkin seeds and topped with a citrus vinaigrette, this recipe definitely fits the bill!
Ingredient Notes:
- Kale – I used curly kalebut you could also use lacinato aka dinosaur if you would like.
- Brussel Sprouts – These add a great unique flavor to the salad and tons of extra nutrition.
- Cabbage – I use green and purple cabbage for this recipe. Although if you only have one or the other that is no issue.
- Cranberries– For this recipe I used dried cranberries however any dried fruit would work well. Even fresh cranberries would be a nice touch.
- Pumpkin Seeds – You could also use sunflower seeds or whatever you have on hand. Slivered almonds or walnuts would be tasty.
- Citrus – Orange and Lemon are the key ingredients for the dressing. Fresh will be best and you will want a large piece of fruit for both.
- Olive Oil – Use a good quality olive oil for the best tasting dressing.
- Maple Syrup – The pure kind not the breakfast kind. You could also use something like agave.
- Dijon Mustard– I love a good dijon mustard. If you do not have any on hand you could use stone ground mustard or yellow mustard.
- Garlic Powder – This adds a nice balance to all the citrus. You could also use a small fresh glove of garlic as well just make sure to use a garlic press or mince it well.
- Salt & Pepper – I use fine sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper.
How To Make:
First prepare your ingredients. Cut all your veggies (kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts) into thin strip like you would chiffonade fresh basil.
Place the kale into a large bowl and massage for 2-3 minutes. This will help to tenderize the kale and aide in digestion.
To your bowl add the other ingredients: cabbage, brussels sprouts, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix well to incorporate everything together and set aside.
Into a separate small bowl add the orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together well.
Next, while continuously whisking add your olive oil and mix well to emulsify your dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
Pour about half of the dressing over your greens and incorporate together. Your salad will be lightly dressed. If you want a more heavily dressed salad you can add it once plated or add the extra dressing to the bowl now.
Serve as a tasty dinner side or enjoy as a light meal.
Enjoy!
Tips For Success:
- Thinly slice those veggies. For the best salad experience you will want to thinly slice all of your veggies. I find the easiest way to do so is by taking a few leaves and rolling them together and then slicing them into thin strips.
- Buy already sliced veggies for a major shortcut. Looking to throw this salad together in half the time? Check out your grocery stores salad kit section. There you will likely find bags of already washed and sliced cabbage or maybe even kale. This is a major time saver when in a crunch.
- Use a good quality olive oil- You will want a tasty olive oil that you enjoy for the best dressing results. I prefer a rich tasting extra-virgin olive oil for salad dressings.
Other Tasty Toppings:
- Fresh Fruit – This salad would be delicious with some fresh fruit added in. You could stick with the citrus theme and add orange segments or something like diced apples would be delicious as well. Even some fresh berries would be divine.
- Tofu or Chickpeas – Add some crunchy tofu or chickpeas to make this a more complete meal.
- Avocado – You literally can not go wrong with adding avocado to any salad in my opinion. It just belongs!
Store in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days.
Other Recipes You May Like:
If you try this recipe make sure to let me know! Leave a comment, rate it and if you take a photo use #feeninforgreens on instagram. I love seeing photos of your recreations!
Sweet Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of curly kale (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup brussels sprouts (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup cabbage (thinly sliced)
- 1 cup purple cabbage (thinly sliced)
- ½ cup dried cranberries
- ½ cup raw pumpkin seeds
Dressing
- ½ large lemon juiced
- ½ large orange juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- ⅛ tsp. garlic powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- First prepare your ingredients. Cut all your veggies (kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts) into thin strip like you would chiffonade fresh basil.
- Place the kale into a large bowl and massage for 2-3 minutes. This will help to tenderize the kale and aide in digestion.
- To your bowl add the other ingredients: cabbage, brussels sprouts, pumpkin seeds and cranberries. Mix well to incorporate everything together and set aside.
- Into a separate small bowl add the orange juice, lemon juice, maple syrup, dijon mustard, garlic powder and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk together well.
- Next, while continuously whisking add your olive oil and mix well to emulsify your dressing. Taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed.
- Pour about half of the dressing over your greens and incorporate together. Your salad will be lightly dressed. If you want a more heavily dressed salad you can add it once plated or add the extra dressing to the bowl now.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Massaging the kale will not only result in a more tender tastier green but aide in digestion as well. I highly recommend taking the time for this step!