I love kale but have been a bit apprehensive about using it
as the main ingredient in a salad. I sometimes add a leaf or two but I was
nervous a larger amount of raw kale in salad would be bitter, as some had
experienced. Well my worries, about that at least, are over!
I was on visit to my brother and sister in law’s a month or
two ago and we had a wonderful salad there. She told me it was from Costco but
since we don’t have a Costco store here I took a quick look at the salad
ingredients and tried to remember them. I used of few of the same main ingredients
here but did not have or could not remember all of them. So this is not quite
the same but it is even better tasting to me.
I made a poppy seed dressing to go on it but you could use
store bought dressing if you prefer. However, this dressing is incredibly good
and I now make it often for all kinds of salads. It is so tasty people who don’t
like salad will eat their greens up without complaint! I know it has a lot of
honey/sugar in it but it really does help the kale and broccoli taste great.
The olive oil is actually good for you! The key to using a dressing like this
is not adding too much to your salad. Mix the dressing into the salad before
serving and use just a small amount! It is a condiment not the star!
I used a delicious apple balsamic vinegar which was purchased on
our trip to California at a We Olive
store. What a great place to get authentic California olive oil and tasty
vinegars. You can order this online from their website or find an olive oil
store near you. But you can substitute a combination or cider and balsamic
vinegars.
One more tip for a great salad- use the freshest and best
quality kale, broccoli and cabbage you can find. Organic is great. Older stuff that you have left in the fridge
for several days after purchase are better cooked, if you are seeking a mild
flavor!
Kale, broccoli and cabbage salad with sweet poppy seed dressing
1 ½ cup Kale, cut from
stem and cut into small bits-choose Lacinato/Tuscan or curly kale
1 cup cabbage, finely shredded and chopped
1 cup broccoli stems, trimmed, peeled and cut into small
julienne strips, use fresh stems.
1 cup spring mix, including chicory, chopped to same size as
other greens. (You may also use a mix of romaine and chicory or any other
lettuce, greens you want to try)
Optional- add one chopped or thinly sliced apple
Toppings: Roasted
pumpkin seeds, Slivered almonds, Dried Cranberries, and Golden raisins. Feel
free to try other seeds, fruits and nut combinations. Use however much you
want; I use about a 1/3 cup of each.
Light coating of Poppy seed dressing or other sweet
dressing, recipe below
Prep everything and make poppy seed dressing. 10 minutes
before serving, mix in a little poppy seed dressing into large bowl of the salad ingredients. Toss well. Add a bit more if needed but don’t
overdo. This dressing makes more than you need for this salad and keeps well in
the refrigerator.
Make topping then either sprinkle onto the top of the salad
in a large bowl to serve or make up individual plates and garnish with topping.
You may place topping ingredients in small bowls for people to add at table.
If you use a heartier lettuce like romaine you can save left
overs for the next day lunch! The kale, cabbage and broccoli stems hold up
well.
Poppy seed dressing
3-4 TBSP Apple balsamic vinegar,( if you cannot find this
use 1 ½ TBSP balsamic and 2 TBSP apple
cider vinegar. We Olive has an
excellent Apple balsamic!)
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
3 TBSP sugar or
honey, more or less to taste
½ - 1 tsp. salt
5 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp. poppy seeds
1/3 cup mayonnaise, light with olive oil or other favorite
mayonnaise
In a blender, mix vinegars, honey/sugar, and salt. Pour in
olive oil slowly while blender is on low. Once emulsified together, add poppy
seeds and mayonnaise. Taste and adjust to preference. This should have an
intense flavor with a generous sweetness
to compliment the slightly bitter greens. This can be made several days ahead,
Use leftovers in other salads such as plain spring mix with dried fruit and pecans or a coleslaw.
