Upgrade your Kale Salad with this easy-to-make masterpiece.

Eating your greens never looked (or tasted) so good.

I’m a firm believer in meal-prep Sunday. The chore is pretty relaxing, actually. I plan my family’s meals, head out to the grocery store with our toddler and have our week ready-to-go prior to my 5am wake-up call on Monday morning.

Earlier last week I had the pleasure of enjoying my first dining experience at Merchant and Trade and Angeline’s in the new Kimpton Hotel located in Uptown Charlotte (look out for a full blog recap soon!). As much as I love going out to eat, I also enjoy having a well-balanced salad for lunch. Contrary to what my Instagram leads, I can usually be found at my desk during the noon hour on most weekdays. Insert hearty salad recipes here.

I’ve been on a kale-cranberry kick for a while now, so why not share one of my wacky creations on the blog?

To be completely honest, we’ve had a few surprises pop up over the past month and I completely forgot to schedule a recipe post for this past weekend (notice the date? I missed my regular Sunday post… whoops). In leu of this, I decided to whip up this healthy salad for the week and photographed it at the same time. This dish turned out to be a hodgepodge of ingredients from the bottom drawer of our refrigerator… and it turned out great!

I had originally planned to top it with some crumbly feta, but it turns out we didn’t have any… so no feta here. However, it makes the salad a little healthier so this is actually a win-win situation!

Winter Greens Kale Salad with Creamy Citrus Vinaigrette

Serves: 4

Ingredients

FOR THE SALAD:

2 cups Kale (+ salt & oil for massaging)
½ cup Broccoli Slaw
½ cup Beet Greens
¼ cup Red Cabbage
½ cup Garbanzo Beans
2 tbsp. Roasted Walnuts
2 tbsp. Dried Cranberries
2 tbsp. Hemp Hearts
2 Morning Star Farms Buffalo Chik Patties, sliced (optional)

FOR THE DRESSING:

½ cup Avocado Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon
Juice of 1 Orange
Zest of ½ Orange
2 tbsp. Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 tbsp. Agave Nectar (or Honey)
1 clove Garlic, minced

Instructions

Prepare all vegetables, as needed. I recommend gently massaging the kale prior to chopping (this will make it softer and easier to eat... WORTH IT. Simply massage with oil and salt for a few minutes prior to cutting). Chop the other greens according to your personal size preference and place in a large mixing bowl.
Prepare the dressing in a sealable container. Shake vigorously prior to serving. (I use leftover condiment or pasta jars.)
Add remaining ingredients and gently toss with desired amount of dressing.
Serve with desired protein. We used Morning Star Farms Buffalo Chick Patties (I love the spicy addition) but regular chicken or tofu would also go nicely.
Enjoy immediately. If preparing in advance, do not add dressing until you're ready to consume.