Kale and Beet Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Kale can stir up mixed emotions, people either love it, hate it, or as I say - haven’t had it prepared well yet. Here is your chance to try it in a flavorful combo with beets, carrots, pecans, cranberries and feta. I’ll explain how to turn your kale from dry and gritty to soft and chewable in simple steps.

4 Steps to a Perfect Kale Salad

1. Wash your kale.

2. Dry your kale.

3. Add dressing. This is the key.  There are a couple ways get the most out of this. I suggest using your hands and stirring the kale with the dressing to massage the leaves. This takes 30 seconds. I’m not talking about getting into a romantic massage with these greens, but do show them some love and make sure they are all moist. (HA!) Or if you have them in a re-sealable container, give them a shake to spread the dressing around.That usually does the trick as well.The oils will soften the kale. 

4. Let sit for 15-30 minutes. Bam! This is the secret… let your leaves marinade.

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Back to this salad…

Price – This kale salad is a 2 out of 4, ringing in at under $10.

A large bag of kale is usually $1.99 and beets $1.69 both from Trader Joes. Canned beets are fine too (and easier).  I was pleasantly surprised with how large and fresh the beets were from TJ’s - Worth giving a try.

Pecans are around $2.29 for a small bag at Giant. Cranberries I found on sale at Aldi for around $2.50. Feta was $1.99. Lots of toppings that can add up so you can always omit something you don’t have or to cut cost.

Ingredients

3-4 Cups Kale, cut into pieces

½ cup carrots

½ cup Beets - cooked, or pickled and chopped

¼ cup pecans

¼ cup cranberries

Feta cheese crumbles, as desired

Directions – Wash and cut kale into small pieces. In medium to large bowl, add kale and dressing (about half of what the recipe below makes) and stir. Massage the leaves so they are completely covered. Add the rest of the toppings. Let sit for 15-30 minutes for the kale to soften, then eat.

For the Dressing:

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

Serving Size: Enough for 2-3 salads

½ Cup Vegetable Oil or Canola Oil

3 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar

2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 Tablespoons Honey

Pour on the dressing and marinade.

Add the toppings. The cranberries were omitted in the photos.

Stir together and enjoy!