Curried Apple and Kale Salad
This salad is a wonderful mix of sweet cranberries, tangy apples, crunchy celery, and the subtle hint of curry pulling everything together. A great mix of flavors to enjoy any time of the year!
Everyone enjoys a good deep tissue massage! Kale is no exception to the rule! You may have seen other recipes call for a ‘massage’ of the kale as you are introducing any dressing. This is not purely to make you get messy or feel silly, I promise! Kale is a coarse green, which eaten raw can have a bit of a rough consistency and bitter taste, making it not very pleasing in a salad. When you introduce a dressing, preferably an acidic dressing, this tames the structure of the kale and mellows the flavor, making a much more enjoyable bite! I highly suggest mixing your dressing first and giving that kale a good rub down before starting to chop your salad toppings, allowing it time to relax, enjoy the music, take a few therapeutic breathes, light a candle, and feel loosened up!
The real star. Bold flavors tend to receive the most attention, naturally. In this salad, apple jumps out at you immediately, as a tart and flavorful fruit that dresses up any dish. Pecans bring a great nutty flavor that complements the sweet cranberries really nicely. That being said, my favorite in this salad is actually the celery. Maybe I’m just a texture girl, but the crunch of that celery against a creamy curry dressing is a perfect bite, in my opinion! The lemon in the dressing keeps the apples from browning, and the kale is better with age, making this a wonderful salad to make ahead of time!!
Looking to kick off summer with a salad kick? Trying to tame those tougher winter ingredients? Check out some of these other ideas:
Shredded Brussel Sprout and Kale Salad with a Lemon Dijon Vinaigrette
Charred Broccoli over Kale Salad with Pickled Onions and Toasted Pine Nuts
Winter Vegetable Salad with Beet Pickled Eggs and a Tahini Mustard Lemon Vinaigrette
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Curried Apple and Kale Salad
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- Kitchen knife
- Whisk
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Mayo Could use yogurt if not keto
- 1 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1/2 squeezed Lemon
- 1/4 tsp Curry Powder
- Coarse Cracked Pepper
- Salt to taste
- 3 handfuls Fresh Chopped Kale
- 2 stalks Celery
- 1/2 medium Apple
- 1/2 medium Cucumber
- 1/3 cup Pecans option to toast these
- 1/4 cup Cranberries/Craisens
Instructions
- In mixing bowl, add mayo, vinegar, lemon, curry, salt and pepper and whisk together until combined.
- Add in kale and using your hands (I promise this is not to look stupid, the process actually does help loosen the kale!), massage the dressing into the kale.*I suggest doing this first before any other prep to give the kale as much time to absorb the dressing as possible.
- Slice celery, cucumber, and apples into diagonal slices and add to your kale base. Add about half of the pecans and cranberries and mix well.
- Plate to serve and top with the remaining cranberries and pecans. Enjoy!This is a great salad by itself, or add chicken to make a full meal!
