Sweet and Tangy Kale Salad

In the deli at our store, I get asked a lot about how to prepare kale.  Although you can saute it or toss it into soups, it is wonderful in salads.  It is a common misconception that it needs to be cooked before eating. But in reality, it is delicious marinated in a raw salad, thus retaining much of its nutrients. I have many recipes for raw kale salads, but one of my favorite lately is a Sweet and Tangy Kale Salad.  It has a light citrusy orange dressing, fresh pineapple, sweet golden raisins, savory onions and crunchy macadamias.  It is perfect for spring and summer because it is so light, and it keeps well, so it is a good thing to make ahead and keep on hand for lunches during the week.

Author: Amy Lyons O’Neil

Amy has worked for Fresh and Natural Foods since 2006 contributing to the variety of healthful foods we offer. She graduated with a degree in studio art from Bethel University in 2007, but in her senior year of college, found that her passion was with the art of food. She later used her photography and culinary skills to create a vegan food and recipe blog, Fragrant Vanilla Cake. She has also written 3 cookbooks. She specializes in vegan and vegetarian recipes. Local, fresh and organic food has always been her focus in whatever she creates.

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Servings: 4-6 | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup fresh organic orange juice
• Zest of one organic orange
• 1 Tbsp Bragg's apple cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Tbsp raw agave nectar or raw coconut nectar
• Sea salt to taste
• Red pepper flakes to taste
• 3 cups fresh organic pineapple, diced
• 1/4 cup sliced red onion
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 3/4 cup macadamia nuts
• 2 bunches organic kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces (dried well)

Instructions

In a small bowl, whisk together dressing ingredients until smooth.

In a large bowl, combine the pineapple, onion, raisins, macadamia nuts and kale. Pour dressing over salad and toss well, using your hands to massage the dressing into the kale to slightly wilt it. Let the salad sit for 15 minutes, then place on a serving platter and serve at room temperature.