Kale, Apple & Pecan Salad
This easy Mediterranean style salad is a delicious tangy side dish that is wonderfully heart healthy due to its high fiber and monounsaturated fat content. Kale is a nutrition powerhouse. One cup of kale provides a variety of antioxidants, including 200% your daily value (dv) for vitamin A, 134% dv for vitamin C, polyphenols and flavonoids. Kale also provides over 600% dv for vitamin K, supporting blood building and strong bones. Kale, apples and pecans are all excellent sources of fiber. Pecans and olive oil are great sources of monounsaturated fat. Fiber and monounsaturated fat both lower cholesterol levels, reducing risk for heart disease.
Makes: 4 large servings
Time to prepare: 15 minutes
Ingredients
- 1 bunch curly green or red kale
- 1 large honeycrisp or other crispy apple, chopped
- ½ cup raw pecans, chopped
- ¼ cup shredded parmesan cheese
Apple Cider Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 minced garlic clove
- Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Instructions
- Remove center stem from kale and chop into bite sized pieces. Place chopped kale in a large bowl.
- Combine olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, garlic and mustard in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the dressing over kale and massage until leaves start to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Add chopped apple, pecans and parmesan to salad and toss to combine all ingredients. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add extra dressing as needed.
Nutrition per serving:
367 calories; 30 g fat (3 g sat, 20 g mono, 7 poly); 4 mg cholesterol; 7.5 g protein; 17 g carbohydrate; 7 g sugar; 6 g fiber; 106 mg sodium; 440 mg potassium. Nutrition Bonus: 206% dv Vitamin A, 684% dv Vitamin K, 134% dv Vitamin C.
Recipe by Katy Nishida
