This Kale, Apple and Pomegranate Salad is always a favorite with our friends and family. This is a version of salad that I enjoyed a Emeril’s Table 10 restaurant in Las Vegas.
Kale, Apple and Pomegranate Salad is healthy and delicious
The kale is hearty, while the apple is fresh and crisp. The pecans bring some crunch, the Brussels sprouts add a textural component, and the pomegranate seeds are a burst of tart freshness.
I use yogurt, instead of mayonnaise, in the dressing as it lends a nice tang and a creamy texture, while still keeping the calories in check. In general, I like a creamy dressing on my kale salads. If you don’t want to make the dressing for this salad, ranch dressing is a good substitute.
In a pinch, I use a bag of the Cruciferous Crunch Salad from Trader Joe’s as the base of the salad and add the pecans, apple and pomegranate seeds to it. You can buy cleaned and bagged kale or a kale salad mix if you don’t have a Trader Joe’s in your area and want a shortcut.
In this salad I use your typical curly green kale. You could use baby kale, red kale or even dinosaur kale (also know Tuscan kale or lacinato kale).
Different textures and flavors make everyday salads more interesting
I like salads that have lots of textures and flavors in them. The more interesting they are, the better chance you’ll eat your veggies! It really doesn’t take much time to put this salad together. The real pay off is when the whole bowl is quickly eaten up.
We like this salad as a side with our dinner, but it also makes a great light lunch. You could add some chicken to make it an entrée salad, if you prefer.
Kale, Apple and Pomegranate Salad
Course: SaladsCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy6
servings15
minutes15
minutesThis kale salad has lots of different flavors and textures that everyone will enjoy!
Ingredients
1/2 cup 1/2 pecans
4 cups 4 kale
1 cup 1 red cabbage
1/2 cup 1/2 brussel sprouts
1/2 1/2 medium Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup 1/2 pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup 1/4 plain yogurt
2 tbsp 2 olive oil
1 tbsp 1 apple cider vinegar
1 tsp 1 honey
1/2 tsp 1/2 salt
1/8 tsp 1/8 freshly ground pepper
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and spread the pecans on a baking tray. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.
- Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl.
- Thinly slice the brussel sprouts and red cabbage and add them to the bowl.
- Coarsely chop the pecans. Add them to the bowl.
- Chop the apple into small chunks and add it to the bowl as well.
- Lastly, add the pomegranate seeds to the bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk the dressing ingredients together and pour the dressing over the salad. Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing.
- Serve, or for even better flavor, let the salad marinate in the dressing for about 10 minutes before hand.
