Description
Kale and blueberry salad combines fresh greens with sweet berries for a nutritious dish. Mediterranean flavors blend seamlessly, offering crunch and delightful textures you will savor with each refreshing bite.
Ingredients
Scale
- 6 cups (1.4 L / 1.4 liters) chopped kale (stems removed)
- 1 cup (240 mL / 240 milliliters) fresh blueberries
- ⅓ cup (80 mL / 80 milliliters) sliced almonds (toasted for extra crunch)
- ⅓ cup (80 mL / 80 milliliters) crumbled feta cheese
- 3 tbsps (45 mL / 45 milliliters) olive oil
- 2 tbsps (30 mL / 30 milliliters) fresh lemon juice
- 1 tbsp (15 mL / 15 milliliters) honey or maple syrup
- 1 tbsp (15 mL / 15 milliliters) Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp (5 mL / 5 milliliters) apple cider vinegar
- ¼ red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 small apple, thinly sliced (optional, for extra sweetness)
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Massage Kale: Thoroughly work olive oil and salt into chopped kale leaves using fingertips until greens soften, deepen in color, and transform into a tender, silky base.
- Prepare Dressing: Combine olive oil, honey, Dijon mustard, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, and pepper in a container. Whisk vigorously until the mixture forms a smooth, emulsified sauce with balanced flavors.
- Compose Salad: Layer the massaged kale with plump blueberries, crumbled feta, crunchy almonds, thin-sliced red onion, and crisp apple segments, creating a dynamic and textural landscape of ingredients.
- Dress and Integrate: Generously drizzle prepared dressing over the salad, gently tossing to ensure every component is evenly coated and flavors are harmoniously distributed throughout the dish.
- Rest and Enhance: Allow salad to sit at room temperature for a few minutes, enabling ingredients to intermingle and develop a more profound, nuanced taste profile before serving.
Notes
- Massage Kale Carefully: Use gentle, firm movements to break down tough kale fibers, making the leaves softer and more digestible. This technique reduces bitterness and improves overall texture.
- Balance Dressing Proportions: Whisk ingredients thoroughly to create a smooth, emulsified dressing that coats ingredients evenly without overwhelming the delicate kale and blueberry flavors.
- Customize Texture Variety: Mix different ingredient sizes and types to create a complex salad with crunchy almonds, creamy feta, and juicy blueberries for a multi-dimensional eating experience.
- Let Flavors Marry: Allow salad to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before serving, enabling ingredients to blend and develop a more harmonious taste profile.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Lunch, Snacks, Dinner
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 230
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 180 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
- Cholesterol: 10 mg