Flavorful Kale Salad Recipe for the Holidays

We are in the midst of the holiday season which means delicious food and lots of it. The holidays are a time to socialize with friends and family and indulge in gifts and food. Sometimes indulging in rich holiday foods can leave you feeling sluggish. To combat this there is an abundance of tasty, healthy foods that can make a great addition to your holiday spread this year. All people, vegan or not, will enjoy having tasty vegan options at their holiday parties. 

Side dishes are a vital part of the holiday season, and some of the most popular sides are soups and salads. Salads are often overlooked and branded as bland or boring. However, over Thanksgiving, a relative made a kale salad that had me going back up for seconds and thirds. This kale salad is loaded with flavor and freshness that provides a great balance from your other more rich dishes. It is based on Dana Slatkin’s Kale and Quoina Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette recipe that is linked here (http://www.danaslatkin.com/salad-recipes/kale-quinoa-salad/). 

 

 

The champagne vinaigrette provides the bulk of the flavor. 

Ingredients for Vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon vegan Dijon mustard (French’s Dijon Mustard is a good vegan option)  

1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard 

1 tablespoon butternut squash bisque (aha Pure Foods SWEET CHI)

⅓ cup Champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 teaspoon honey 

¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper 

The salad is composed of mostly kale with a few toppings that provide extra punches of flavor. The salad includes…

Ingredients:

1 bunch of kale without stems 

Half a cup of shredded vegan parmesan cheese

¼ cup of toasted pine nuts

½ cup of dried cranberries 

Directions:

1. Combine the mustards, bisque, vinegars, and honey in a small bow. Then mix in the oil and add salt and pepper to taste. 
2. In a large bowl, pour half of the vinaigrette over the kale. Make sure to massage the dressing into the kale to ensure the best texture and taste. Toss in the cheese, pine nuts, and cranberries. Add more dressing, salt, and pepper to taste. 

This salad would pair greatly with a festive soup. Serve the salad alongside our SWEET CHI bisque, which is a butternut squash bisque that has notes of citrus. Together this soup and salad combo would make the perfect dish to bring to a holiday party. Vegans and non-vegans alike will be asking for your recipes by the end of the night.   

 

One spoonful at a time,

aha Pure Foods Team