Kale Blueberry Salad
This massaged kale blueberry salad is packed with candied pecans, feta cheese, apples, and an easy homemade dressing. Delicious and healthy!
Ingredients
Salad:
- 2/3 cup pecans
- 3 Tablespoons granulated sugar
- 5-6 cups curly kale
- 1 cup blueberries rinsed
- 1 medium apple ideally Granny Smith or another tart variety, chopped
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
Dressing:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- Place the pecans in a nonstick skillet set over medium heat. Sprinkle the sugar on top and cook for about 6-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until the sugar melts into a light caramel coating over the pecans. Watch closely and turn down the heat if needed; the sugar should not burn. Transfer pecans to a plate or piece of parchment paper to cool, breaking apart any that stick together, and sprinkle very lightly with sea salt.
- Make the dressing by combining olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, Dijon mustard, a pinch of sea salt, and 6-8 cranks of fresh-ground black pepper in a small jar or liquid measuring cup. Whisk or shake vigorously into a smooth dressing.
- Place kale in a large bowl, removing any thick stem pieces. Pour dressing on top, then use your hands to lightly massage the dressing into the kale.
- Add blueberries, chopped apple, pumpkin seeds, feta, and cooled pecans to the bowl with the kale. Toss well, serve, and enjoy.
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Notes
- You can purchase candied pecans and skip the step of caramelizing them in the skillet. Our favorites are from Trader Joe’s; they’re sold right alongside raw and salted nuts and dried fruit for snacking.
- Amounts for the kale, pecans, blueberries, and pumpkin seeds are just guidelines. Eyeball everything and adjust to your taste.
- This salad keeps well, even with the dressing on, but if you know you plan to wait a bit to serve it, hold off on adding the pecans and pumpkin seeds until right before, so they stay maximally crunchy.
Nutrition Estimate
Calories: 272 kcal, Carbohydrates: 21 g, Protein: 5 g, Fat: 21 g, Saturated Fat: 3 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12 g, Trans Fat: 0.002 g, Cholesterol: 6 mg, Sodium: 112 mg, Potassium: 322 mg, Fiber: 5 g, Sugar: 15 g, Vitamin A: 5641 IU, Vitamin C: 56 mg, Calcium: 186 mg, Iron: 2 mg