Sweet Kale and Grape Salad with Almonds

I am one of those people who can never get enough kale. It seems that a lot of our customers at Fresh and Natural are that way too, since the kale salads fly out of the deli! This is a good thing, since kale is so nutritious.  Most kale salads have a vinaigrette or Asian inspired dressing.  But I thought, what if I paired kale with a more creamy dressing like some broccoli salads?  I made a sweet, creamy vegan dressing with blended hemp seeds for extra protein and creaminess; tossed in some cider vinegar for a bit of balance against the sweet; stirred in some poppy seeds; and it was delicious with the kale.  The flavor of it with the kale was almost like a broccoli salad we sell in the deli, except this contained no may0 or sugar just a nutritious hemp seed dressing (but you would never be able to tell).  I added some grapes, raisins, and toasted almonds for crunch.  Dare I say it, but this was the best kale salad I have ever tasted.  Try it out for yourself if you are a fan of creamy broccoli salads, you will not be disappointed.

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 servings | Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Ready in: 15 minutes

Ingredients

• Dressing:
• 1/4 cup Nutivia hemp seeds
• 1/4 cup raw cashew butter or raw almond butter
• 1/3 cup filtered water
• 2 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 Tbsp raw agave nectar or raw honey
• 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste
• 1/4 cup poppy seeds (available in bulk)
• Salad:
• 2 bunches organic kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces
• 3 cups organic grapes
• 1 cup raw almonds, chopped
• 1 cup raisins (available in bulk)
• 1 organic shallot, sliced

Instructions

In a blender, combine all the dressing ingredients except the poppy seeds. Blend until smooth, then stir in poppy seeds. Place the kale, grapes, almonds, raisins and shallot in a large bowl and pour dressing over. Massage into the kale with hands to coat. Place on a serving plate and serve!