I can’t believe Thanksgiving is in just a couple of weeks. Seriously, where did this year go? With the holidays upon us, and given my love for this season, many of the blog posts these next couple of months will have some holiday flare. Before I dive into the 3 delicious kale salad recipes, let me first share with you some benefits of kale, and why it is the perfect healthy option to add to your holiday dinner.
Benefits of Kale
Kale is a leafy green that is known to be the “king” of healthy greens. It is a powerful superfood with astonishing benefits including:
- Kale is high in vitamin K
- Kale is full of powerful antioxidants
- Kale is a great anti-inflammatory food
- Kale is high in vitamin K, C, and A
- Kale is high in calcium
- Kale is a great detox food
- Kale is a known to fight off cancer due to the glucosinolates of kale, also known as powerhouse chemicals
- Kale helps to prevent macular degeneration and cataracts due to the lutein and zeaxanthin
- Kale promotes brain development in small children due to the natural source of folate
- Kale helps prevent bone loss due to its high calcium content
Goodness, this is a lot of benefits in just a leafy green. According to Dr. Mercola, one cup of kale can trump a whole week’s worth of other foods: 684% of the daily value of vitamin K, 206% of the suggested daily amount of vitamin A, and 134% of vitamin C.
Does it matter what kind of kale you buy?
YES!! While kale doesn’t make the dirty dozen list, on www.EWG.org, it is ranked #19, as produce with the most pesticides. With all of the amazing benefits of kale, it is worth spending the extra dollar or so to buy organic! Stores like Aldi, Trader Joes, and Costco have very affordable organic kale. It is definitely worth checking your local farmers market for some great options as well.
3 Delicious Kale Salad Recipes
I know we have all started scrolling through Pinterest to find those perfect holiday recipes that will be a huge hit. Below are 3 of my all time favorite kale salads. Two of the salads below call for Primal Kitchen salad dressing. These salad dressings are:
- Primal & Paleo Approved
- Soy & Canola Free
- Gluten & Grain Free
- Made with organic ingredients
- Balsamic Dressing is Whole30 approved
I always think it is funny that we consider salads to be the “healthy” option, but most of the time, the salad dressing is loaded with all kinds of terrible ingredients. Be sure the salad dressing you are using is actually healthy to make that salad worth eating! I love Primal Kitchen dressings and always have them in my refrigerator. I recently did a post on Thrive Market. I buy most of my Primal Kitchen dressings through Thrive Market. You can also order directly through the Primal Kitchen website. And ever so often I can find them at my local grocery.
1. Pomegranate and Squash Kale Salad
Inspiration: @becks_liveshealthy
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch organic kale
- 1 cup roasted pumpkin seeds
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 4 oz goat cheese
- 1 whole pomegranate, de-seeded
- 1 whole roasted acorn squash
- Primal Kitchen Honey Mustard Dressing
Directions:
- Mix 1 cup of pumpkin seeds with 1 tbsp coconut oil, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp sea salt. Roast in oven on 400 degrees for a few minutes, until pumpkin seeds are slightly darker
- Cut acorn squash in half and put 1/4 tsp salt, ½ tbsp coconut oil, ¼ tsp cinnamon in each side. Roast squash in oven on 400 degrees for 45min-1 hour or until ready
- Once squash is done, cut it into squares and scoop out (you can also buy pre-cut acorn squash and roast it as well)
- Put full bunch of kale into large bowl and add pomegranates, pumpkin seeds, and honey mustard dressing then mix well (Be sure to smash kale a bit to really get the dressing to soak into it)
- Add squash and goat cheese after you have mixed in the salad dressing (this is an important step so you don’t smash the soft goat cheese and squash while mixing)
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
2. Cranberry, Parmesan, and Kale Salad
Salad Ingredients:
- 1 bunch organic kale
- 8oz grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup dried cranberries
- 1 cup silvered or sliced almonds
Salad Dressing:
- 4 lemons
- 3 minced cloves of garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Directions:
- Add 1 bunch of kale to a bowl with grated parmesan, dried cranberries, and silvered almonds
- Mix all salad dressing ingredients together and pour over salad (pour slowly and use salad dressing mixture as needed. You may not need the entire batch depending on your size of salad)
- Mix all ingredients together and be sure to smash kale a bit to get the salad dressing to absorb
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
3. Strawberry, Avocado, and Walnut Kale Salad
Inspiration: Primal Kitchen
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch organic kale
- 16oz organic strawberries
- 1 cup walnuts
- 4 oz feta cheese
- 1 avocado
- Primal Kitchen Balsamic Vinaigrette dressing
Directions:
- Layer fresh kale and walnuts
- Pour Balsamic vinaigrette over kale and walnuts and mix thoroughly (be sure to put dressing on before cheese & strawberries)
- Add slices of strawberries and avocado
- Serve immediately and enjoy!