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Kale is busting out all over (sing to the tune of “June is busting out all over.”) in gardens and farmers markets now. There are so many ways to enjoy this ; I suggest you play around and discover your favorite ways to enjoy it and give it regular appearances in meals and snacks. It is the favored green in my green smoothies, one of the vegetables added to quiche, and the main character in this delicious salad.
One of the things I’ve done to make it super easy to put this salad together – even just a single serving – is to double the dressing recipe, grate extra carrot, and toast additional sunflower seeds. Store the “extra” dressing and carrots in the fridge and they’re ready when you want to assemble the next salad.
Everywhere you read, people are talking about kale. What’s all the buzz about? It’s a nutrition-rich powerhouse! Here are some of its fine attributes:
- It is a cruciferous vegetable belonging to the Brassica family, a group of vegetables that includes cabbage, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts.
- Only 18 calories in half a cup of boiled kale
- High levels of Vitamin A (great for lungs & skin)
- Provides 30% of the daily requirement (RDA) of Vitamin C, the top immune system booster
- Bounteous in Vitamin K which protects bones
- Contains many cancer-fighting nutrients
- A study found that people who ate the most cruciferous vegetables had a 29% lower risk of bladder cancer than those eating the least of this family of vegetables.
- Includes nutrients that can help switch on the liver’s detoxifying enzymes
Kale Salad with Peanut Dressing
4 cups torn or cut kale, tough ribs removed
1/2 cup coarsely grated carrot
1/3 cup raisins or craisins
1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds or peanuts or coarsely chopped water chestnuts – all are crunch providers
Dressing:
2 Tbsp organic peanut butter
1/2 Tbsp tamari, soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp lemon juce
12 Tbsp grated fresh ginger root
1 clove garlic, minced
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small bowl with a fork, blending until smooth. Add remaining ingredients.
To serve: Add kale to serving bowl and top with additional ingredients of choice. Add some dressing and stir into salad well so all kale leaves are coated.
This salad is super willing to be flexible to your tastes. Modify the ingredients and/or their quantities. Change-up the proportions of the dressing ingredients: maybe you’re not that fond of ginger or garlic, reduce them.
Make it yours so that you eat it and love it, as you ingest a bowlful of healthy nutrition. Bon appetit!
Featured image photo by Deryn Macey on Unsplash
