Would you look at that? She’s a stunner, that salad. Like sunshine in a bowl. Kale got all gussied up for us today with dazzling clementines and pomegranate, avocado and pepitas, tossed in a honey, lime and jalapeño dressing. (Insert cat call here.)
I’m treating my body kindly this week—cue the kale salad—in preparation for a fancy-pants event at the art museum this Saturday. So far, I’ve rented a dress for the occasion (from Rent the Runway/that’s a referral link/have you tried it?). I visited my hair stylist for a much-needed trim this afternoon and stopped for fresh juice before heading home. As long as I can get some beauty rest between now and then, I think I should be good to go. Champagne, please!
I’m looking forward to checking my coat at the door and dancing around in this short blue number all night. Dreary winters are made more bearable with a little color and sparkle, aren’t they? If you’re desperate for springtime already, I hope you find some relief in this vibrant salad.
I’ll be the first to admit that there’s a lot going here, but each component adds a bit of sweetness or crunch or salty creaminess. The recipe takes cues from Deb’s kale salad, but I swapped lime for lemon and added chili peppers for a south-of-the-border twist. I also added clementines since they’re so good this time of year (any type of sweet citrus would be nice, though). Feel free to trade the pomegranate for a handful of dried cranberries for a more simple (and less seedy) salad.
Kale, Clementine and Feta Salad with Honey-Lime Dressing
Colorful raw kale salad made with clementines, radish, avocado and pepitas, tossed in a honey, lime and jalapeño dressing. This salad is gluten free and easily made vegan by omitting the feta and substituting agave nectar for the honey.
Kale salad
Honey-Lime Dressing
- First, make the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients in a small bowl.
- Prepare the kale by slicing out the stems and chopping out the leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Transfer the kale to a big salad bowl. Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands by lightly scrunching big handfuls at a time, until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.
- Drizzle salad dressing over the kale (you might not need all of the dressing) and toss well so the kale is lightly coated with dressing. Add the prepared avocado, pomegranate (or dried cranberries), clementines, radishes, cilantro and feta to the bowl.
- Toast the pepitas in a skillet over medium-low heat for a few minutes, stirring frequently, until they smell fragrant and toasty. Transfer the pepitas to the salad bowl. Toss the salad to combine and serve.
Notes
This salad takes cues from my recipe for Deb’s kale salad with apple, cranberries and pecans.
Storage suggestions: This salad should keep well in the refrigerator, covered, for a couple of days. For best results, add avocado just before serving.
Make it vegan: Skip the feta and use agave nectar for the dressing.
Nutrition
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