This is one of those really really simple recipes I've shared a hundred times on Facebook and in my newsletter, etc, but for some reason, it's never made it into a blog post.
I think maybe I thought it was too simple to be a recipe to share here? That the recipes here needed to be some gourmet creation that put me on par with the great food bloggers (ha!).
Whatevs.
I need to get over myself and post recipes that you guys will actually want to make and eat, eh? Including ones that take approximately 5 minutes to make and can be done at that last minute when you are scrambling to feed the dog, get the kids' homework off the table and away from any food stains, and figure out exactly WHERE said kids are. Scratch that, you probably can tell by the sound of bickering coming from a few rooms away.
Kale is one of those green things that everyone always says you should eat because it's so healthy for you, but I know that some people just don't like the taste of it. This salad has enough of a tang from lime juice and flavor from the sesame oil to cover much of the taste of the kale, so it might be a good way for kale-haters to get their greens in.
My kids eat it with fervor. Well, they pick out the cranberries first and eat them, then they eat the rest, so I take that to mean they like it.
Kale is also a great multi-seasonal item. It grows well in all sorts of weather, which also makes it pretty inexpensive. Even more so if you can grow it yourself!
So here's the recipe – hope you enjoy!
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Kale Salad with Cranberries and Almonds
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
- Category: Side Dish
- Method: No Cook
Description
A 10-minute kale salad that can be made when you are super busy. Paleo, Whole30, gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan. This side dish recipe goes with everything!
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Kale
- 1/4 cup Dried Cranberries (use fruit-juice sweetened for Whole30)
- 1/4 cup Sliced Almonds
- 1 tbs Sesame Oil
- 1/4 cup Macadamia Nut or Avocado Oil
- Juice of 1 Lime (about 1 tbs)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Cut the kale into small pieces, removing the particularly thick
stems. Massage the kale for several minutes (this helps soften the
kale and makes it easier to eat).
2. Add the rest of the ingredients and toss.
Notes
This salad is one of those that you can completely make ahead of time and it doesn’t seem to get all soggy. By nature, it is already sort of a soggy salad, but the kale holds up and doesn’t disinegrate.
Keywords: Paleo, Whole30, salad, side
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I love lime on my salads! I want to try macadamia nut oil – I have never had it!
It’s really good! Not too much flavor, but just enough to make it taste great.
This looks awesome! Cranberries and nuts should be on every salad!
Thanks Stacey!
What a lovely salad you have here. I have no doubt it looks as good as it tastes.
Thanks Hannah!
I love how easy, fast and simple this salad can be prepared. Great job!
Thanks Carrie!
I love this blog post and recipe so much! You’re right, sometimes the most delicious recipes are also the simplest. I thought the reaction of your kids were lovely.
Thanks Kelly! My kids can easily be influenced by cranberries, ha!
Ooooh, sesame oil and lime?! How funky! I usually just make a similar salad with lemon juice and olive oil. Boring. I can’t wait to try this! We are massive kale eaters
Thanks Cheryl! Lemon juice and olive oil sounds great too, but yeah, good to change it up!
This sounds incredible! I can’t wait to make it! I love massaged kale salads but my friends’ recipes are so loosey-goosey that I’m too scared to make them (I’m a follow-the-directions kind of gal).
haha, thanks Victoria! Being a follow-the-directions gal probably keeps you out of a lot of disgusting meal trouble! 🙂
Oh this sounds so good! I LOVE salads with fruit – any kind, dried or fresh, they’re my favorite! I love that your kids pick out the cranberries first and eat them, then eat the rest lol 🙂
Yeah, my kids are fruit nuts. They sure crack me up! 🙂
This sounds absolutely delish, I’ve never tried macadamia nut oil before but I have a hunch it’s going to be instant addiction!
Thanks Kari! It sure is yummy!
Sometimes (usually) simple is best! This salad looks so delicious!
Thanks Jessica. Yeah, need to make that my mantra. 🙂
Love this flavor combo, and macadamia nut oil is a recent favorite of mine. Yum! Luckily I can get it almost anywhere he in Hawaii!
Oh that’s awesome. I bet it’s really delicious there.
Love kale salad ! It’s so healthy and there are so many different ways to dress them up. Totally love it !!
Thanks ChihYu!
This looks delish! And I have all of the ingredients!!
Thanks Katja!
So kale is naturally an all-season ingredient? Winning!
It depends on where you live. Where you are in California, it can grow all year. Here in Colorado it’s more of a 3 season but it can also be grown in a hoop house or cold frame (for when you aren’t lazy, like we’ve been this year, haha).
Love kale salads! This one looks great.
Thanks Becky!
I’m the same way with recipes – I always think I have to overcomplicate things for the blog, but really, what I want to give people are easy recipes that they’ll make all the time, just like I do in my own kitchen. So I’ve started sharing more like that recently and love it, because it’s so easy to refer back to them for readers and nutrition clients! 🙂
Seriously! Let’s go on a mission to de-complicate things 🙂
I’m not a kale fan either, I love kale crisps but maybe I should try it like this, it sounds yummy.
Thanks Vanessa!
Oh my god I seriously love kale salads! And I love dried cranberries but can never find any unsweetened ones in my health food shop? Might be worth me ordering from abroad ha!
Haha, I think using the sweetened ones isn’t a huge deal if you are only sprinkling a few on a salad. We try to get the apple juice sweetened ones but sometimes we cheat 🙂