Winter Kale Salad

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I love a good hearty salad loaded with all kinds of ingredients you wouldn't expect. This winter kale salad has roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts for a delicious twist. It's topped with tangy goat cheese rolled in toasted pecans. I get bored with salads easily so I love switching things up.

Kale is the perfect green to use for meal prep because you can toss it and massage it with your hands days in advance and it keeps.

How do you prepare kale for a salad?

1. Wash the leaves well
2. Cut out the center membrane (it's too tough to eat)
3. Chop it up into ribbons

How do you massage kale for salads and why is it important?

1. Drizzle whatever salad dressing you are using over the chopped kale
2. Using your hands squeeze or massage the kale into the dressing until it turns dark green and decreases in volume by about a third
3. This will make your kale more flavorful and less fibrous

This winter kale salad is very versatile. You could substitute the sweet potatoes for butternut squash, you could switch the goat cheese for feta, or you could add some pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries.

Winter Kale Salad

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• Author: thehungrywaitress
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 5 1x

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Description

This winter kale salad has roasted sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts for a delicious twist. It's topped with tangy goat cheese rolled in toasted pecans.

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 1 medium sweet potato, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
• 2 cups brussels sprouts, cut in half
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 16 ounce kale, chopped
• 4 ounces goat cheese
• 1/2 cup pecans, toasted and chopped

Dressing*:

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons honey
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

 

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Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
2. Toss the sweet potatoes and brussels sprout in the olive oil and salt.
3. Spread them out in and even layer on a baking sheet and bake for 20 minutes.
4. Flip the sweet potatoes and brussel sprouts and bake another 10 minutes.
5. While the sweet potatoes and brussels are in the oven, whisk the dressing ingredients together.
6. Place the kale and all of the dressing in a very large bowl and message the dressing into the kale for about 2 minutes.
7. Roll the goat cheese into 1 teaspoon size balls and coat them in the chopped pecans.**
8. Top the kale with the roasted sweet potatoes, brussels, and goat cheese balls.

Notes

*Double this dressing recipe if you like a lot of dressing or if you want extra

**This step is not necessary, but makes a pretty presentation. The salad is equally delicious if you just want to crumble the goat cheese directly into the salad, and top the salad with the pecans.

• Prep Time: 10
• Cook Time: 30

Here are more kale salad ideas: