This sweet & simple kale salad features a cranberry-lime dressing, topped with bacon, clementines, pecans, and dried cranberries! Perfect for a healthy side dish or light lunch!
Let me start by saying that I do NOT like kale. No, seriously! Every few years, I give it a try. Like a real one. Some people enjoy it and it’s so healthy. Or maybe kale just had a great PR person…
So, saying I LOVE this salad is a huge endorsement. Like- I wouldn’t mind eating it everyday for the next week!
Kale Tip #1= Massage the kale. For a long time… This helps to break it down and makes it easier to digest.
A few months ago, I was talking with someone about healthy foods and she brought up kale. Then, she asked me if I massaged it.
I’m sorry. Excuse me now. Did I WHAT???
I don’t recall a recipe ever asking me to massage romaine, spinach, or mixed greens. Had I been doing it all wrong?!?
YES! Yes, I was. Though in my defense- the recipes I looked at never mentioned this massage step.
Now, I know better. And, so do you.
How to Massage Kale
- Place the kale, sans stems, in a large mixing bowl. Next, drizzle with lemon or lime juice, olive oil, and salt.
- With clean hands, massage the kale leaves until they become soft and reduce by about half of the size.
- That’s all! Allow to sit while you assemble the toppings for your salad.
Originally, I was going to massage the kale with just lime juice. Since there was lime juice in my dressing, I decided to massage with the entire dressing. Also, I really wanted to use fresh cranberries, but it’s hard to find any when Thanksgiving is not around the corner.
What’s so great about kale?
✅ It’s been coined “the most nutrient-dense food on the planet…” I can neither confirm nor deny the validity of this statement, but it sounds very compelling.
✅ One raw cup provides
– Over 200% of your daily Vitamin A
– Over 100% of your daily Vitamin C
– Only 33 calories
– 2 grams of fiber
– 3 grams of protein
✅ Loaded with antioxidants
You know…those things that help reverse oxidative damage.
✅ Can help lower cholesterol
15 minutes
Cranberry-Lime Kale Salad
Ingredients
Dressing
- 1/2 c. frozen cranberry juice, thawed (not cranberry cocktail)
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 tsp. honey
- 2 Tbsp. orange juice
- Juice of 1 lime
Salad
- 4 - 5 c. kale
- 2 slices of bacon
- 2 - 3 clementines, peeled & sectioned
- 1/4 c. pecans, chopped
- 1/4 c. dried cranberries
Instructions
- In a small bowl or mason jar, whisk or shake the cranberry juice, olive oil, honey, orange juice, and lime juice.
- In a large mixing bowl, pour about 1/2 of the dressing over the kale and massage for 2-3 minutes. Allow to sit.
- In a small skillet, brown the bacon. Place on a plate lined with a paper towel.
- Top kale with crumbled bacon, clementines, pecans, and dried cranberries. Drizzle with remaining dressing, if desired.Store leftover kale in the fridge.