Are you someone who doesn’t like kale? Well, you probably love kale if you’re reading this but i’m sure you know someone who says “ew” when it comes to the tasty green. Kale gets a bad rep because it’s hard to imagine eating something so stiff but this kale summer salad recipe will change someone’s mind about kale! This is a hearty salad with plenty of protein so it can stand alone as an entree or remove the sweet potatoes for a side salad.
In my mind, it takes a lot of effort to make dinner so I’m constantly mentally preparing for the next meaI. To make things easier, I like to double recipes so I have leftovers the following day. With this recipe, feel free to make it your own. It’s a good idea to get comfortable making recipes your own so you can improvise if you’re missing an ingredient, have an allergy, dislike an ingredient, etc. Below you’ll find an ingredient list and five steps to pulling off this deliciously healthy recipe.
Ingredients
Spinach (2 bags)
Kale (2 large bunches)
Sweet potatoes (3 potatoes sliced in 1/2 inch rounds with skins on)
Red onion (1 large thinly sliced)
Strawberries (2 cups sliced)
Blueberries (2 cups)
Toasted almond slices (2 cups)
Crumbled feta (2 cups)
Avocado (2 thin slices)
Olive oil (use your judgement, maybe 3/4 cup in total)
Salt
Smoked paprika
Garlic salt
Basil Dressing or Organic goddess basil dressing from Whole Food
Lemon (juice 1 lemon)
Fresh basil (2 cups)
Garlic (5 cloves)
Olive oil (1 cup)
Salt (to taste)
Step 1:
Prep the kale! First, wash all your kale. The leaves can be squished tightly together so open them up and wash out any dirt. Next you’ll need to de-rib the kale which means removing the tough stem running down the center of the leaves. Fold the kale over along the rib and cute the rib off with a sharp knife. You can also do this process using your hands if you’d like! For the final step, the key to delicious kale is to massage it with olive oil and salt (coarse kosher sea salt works great if you have it). Cut or tear your kale into fork sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and salt then get your hands in there and massage the kale. Continue tossing the kale until the leaves have been coated. Add spinach and set aside. The kale will soften as it sits.
Step 2:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and prep the sweet potatoes! Wash the sweet potatoes and keep the skin on. Slice the potatoes into 1/2 inch rounds. Toss the sweet potato rounds in a drizzle of olive oil, smoked paprika, and garlic salt. Once the sweet potatoes are thoroughly coated on both sides, place them in a single layer on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 25 minutes flipping once. Set aside.
Step 3:
While the sweet potatoes cook, prep the additional ingredients. Thinly slice the strawberries and red onion. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a skillet to toast the sliced almonds over medium heat. Continue tossing until toasted.
Step 4:
Make the Dressing! If you don’t have Whole Foods near you or if you like making your own dressing, make a basil dressing. In a food processor or blender, combine 5 cloves garlic, 1/2 cup lemon juice, 2 cups basil leave, 1 cup olive oil, and plenty of salt to taste. Blend until smooth. You can make this in advance and store in the fridge. The longer the dressing sits, the tastier it will be!
Step 5:
Assemble your salad! For the ultimate presentation, assemble each salad in individual bowls or on a large serving platter. Layer the ingredients in the order they’re listed above. Drizzle with dressing or let people add their own!
YALLA VIBES 