One of my absolute favourite salads that I go back to time and time again. Have it by itself or as a base salad with goats cheese,feta cheese, grilled salmon, steak or chicken - the options are endless. It takes less than 20 minutes to pull together and lasts all week in the fridge. I love to make a big batch of this as a base salad to save time in busy weeks where I want to feel nourished. Have it by itself or add in roast veggies, leftovers - create any salad you'd like.
I especially love it with this halloumi and thyme crumbed chicken schnitzel.
Total time to make : 20 minutes
Servings : 4 large or 6 side dishes
Ingredients
125g kale
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
125g baby spinach
2 apples
100g dried cranberries
Candied pecans
80g pecans
2 tbsp butter
4 tbsp light brown sugar
Pinch of sea salt
Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
Method
Lay a sheet of baking paper on a heatproof surface – make sure it’s close by, we'll tip our hot nuts onto this. Put pecans in a frying pan over a high heat and toast for 2–3 minutes until bronzed. Remove from the heat and add the butter and sugar, stirring until dissolved. Pour the mixture on to the baking paper, sprinkle with salt and leave to cool.
In a small jar or mug, whisk the dressing ingredients together and set aside.
Slice the apples into matchsticks and submerge them in a salt-water solution of around 750ml (1 tsp salt for every 250ml) for 5 - 10 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water before using. This stops them from going brown and keeps them fresh for days!
Put the kale into a large bowl, pour the lemon juice and oil over and with clean hands toss and rub (or ‘massage’) this into the leaves. After 2–3 minutes the leaves will start to soften while holding their shape. Throw in the baby spinach and toss to mix through. Toss the drained apple sliced into the leaves with the cranberries.
When you’re ready to serve, pour the dressing over the salad. Use a sharp knife to roughly chop your candies nuts and crumble over.
Nutritional Information (per main meal portion, with dressing and candied nuts)
505 calories
3g protein, 46g carbs, 33g fat
Good to know:
Swap out salad leaves depending on seasons, availability and preferences.
You can use walnuts, flaked almonds, hazelnuts or pine nuts instead of pecans.
The salad will keep in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Store the dressing seperate in a jar for up to 5 days in the fridge.
Store the candied pecans seperate in a jar or airtight container for up to 2 weeks.