Lemony Kale Salad with Cranberries and Gorgonzola

Have you had a kale salad before? Are kale salads still a thing? Or is this recipe so 2013? I don’t know.

I do know that kale salads just sort of became a thing for us. Much like the smoothie bowl, it took me a while to come to like the idea. I don’t know what it was – maybe I thought it was super weird to massage my salad before eating. Or that this super tough and kind of bitter leaf couldn’t’ possibly make a salad so I will be sticking with my tender baby spring mix.

But upon first kale salad bite, it was one of those ‘Where have you been all my life moments?!’ It’s just one of those things.

But anyway… even if this recipe is so last year and everyone is over kale salads, I am LOVING them! A good kale salad make my dinner time a lot more exciting. And a little more delicious and a lot more nutritious.

MORE ABOUT THIS LEMONY KALE SALAD RECIPE…

This lemony kale salad is all about a huge bowl of kale massaged with a fresh lemony vinaigrette and then topped with lots of goodies. It’s tart. It’s sweet. It’s crunchy. It’s just about everything.

And I am pretty sure we loved this salad so much was gone in a matter of minutes. 

And by goodies I mean fresh herbs, gorgonzola, quick maple candied almonds and pecans and dried cranberries.

But I’m not using just any cranberries. I’m using Patience Fruits and Co cranberries. These are my new favourite! (This isn’t a sponsored post – I just really love these naturally sweetened cranberries!) They are plump and moist and sweetened with apple juice (and the ingredient list is actually only 3 all organic ingredients – cranberries, apple juice and a little but of sunflower oil). They are pretty much amazing and if you see them in the grocery store you have to get them!

I love chives and parsley on this salad. Mostly because this is what I have on hand the most these days but the flavours really work. Of course, you can use what you have on hand as well.

And that gorgonzola! I love it. I think a little bit goes a long way to make everything just a little more delicious. But if you are not a fan of the blue cheese family, try using goat cheese instead… or just no cheese for a vegan option. But that gorgonzola – heart eyes times a million. (And it’s kind of fun to say…)

Lemony Kale Salad with Cranberries and Gorgonzola

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• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: 2-6 1x

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Ingredients

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Lemony Vinaigrette:

• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon honey (or other liquid sweetener)
• Pinch of salt and pepper

Kale Salad:

• 10 cups kale, curly or dinosaur, washed and chopped into bite-sized pieces (from 1 bunch of kale leaves)
• 1/2 cup Quick Maple Candied Nuts, chopped
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries
• 1/4 cup fresh herbs (chives, parsley, oregano, basil, etc)
• 1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (or plain goat cheese or no cheese)

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Instructions

1. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, honey and salt and pepper together. Set aside.
2. Add washed and chopped kale into a really large bowl. Pour about 2/3 of the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, ‘massage’ or rub the dressing into the kale pieces to help break down the toughness of the kale. After about a minute of ‘massaging’ the kale, it should look soft and wilted.
3. Sprinkle the nuts, cranberries, herbs and cheese over top of the kale.
4. Serve with an extra drizzle of the remaining dressing if you’d like.

• Prep Time: 20 minutes