Crisp Kale Salad with Sweet Cherries and Tangy Feta

I remember the first time I ingested kale.

It was 2012, and I had gotten a boatload of this earthy vegetable in my very first CSA (Consumer Supported Agriculture) share. I was a newbie to the greens game, and if I’m being totally honest, I was pretty intimidated. It’s shocking I know, but I was not always the veggie goddess you see before you today. Thankfully, I’ve evolved over the past six years. 

Back then though, when it came to leafy greens, I hadn’t really ventured out of the lettuce stage so consuming kale was like jumping off the highest of high dives after previously wading in the kiddie pool. I had no idea what I was getting myself into.

I was freaked out, but I had signed up for a CSA share specifically to push myself out of my culinary comfort zone, and I wasn’t backing down now. The bill was paid, the food had arrived, so with vigor, I tore off one whole leaf and added it a blender bursting with fruit. My kale to berry ration was 0.00000001 to 10. Basically, I was trying to start small and masquerade the flavor.

With trepidation, I poured my slightly lumpy smoothie into a tall clear glass, a rookie mistake if I ever did see one, and I was horrified by the scene before me. The color was reminiscent of camouflage, and I don’t mean the trendy patterns you see in stores today. I mean the roll in the ground, half-faded, murky greens and greys worn by soldiers on their last day of training camp, after they’ve frolicked in the mud one too many times. It wasn’t a good look, but it was too late to turn back.

I grabbed my noxious cocktail, my morning list, and headed out to our three seasons room. I was going to make a moment out of this smoothie, much like my morning cup of coffee. With my pen poised in one hand, ready to write out my daily To Do’s, I took my first tentative sip.

Chunky. Hmm, perhaps I should have blended it longer.

Another taste. It’s kinda warm. Next time, I’ll add ice.

More tidbits on the tongue. Very fruity, but a pint of strawberries will do that. 

A fourth swig now. Definite hints of kale. Yeah, kale. 

I took a great big swallow and relished in my new-found healthy ways. Had my hair been long, I’m sure I would have shaken out my mane, while a sunbeam captured me in my nutritionally ramped up glory.  I could practically feel my cheeks glowing, my skin rehydrating, and my intestines fortifying.

I was on a new path to personal growth and wellness and kale, this bold, brassy, green, was the first step of my spiritual journey. 

I felt inspired, invigorated and ready to conquer the world.

And the my stomach started to gurgle. Now, I come from a long line of gassy people, on both sides, so I didn’t take much notice.

Until my gut roared with urgency, and I was forced to catapult myself to the nearest bathroom until every sip of kale I had swallowed exited stage left (or really rear).

I learned lots of things that day, but mostly kale has a lot of fiber.

Thankfully, I and my digestive system, have come a long way since then.

Hence this simple salad complete with massaged kale, sweet cherries, tangy feta cheese and candied walnuts. It’s healthy, it’s easy, and it’s a flavor explosion in your mouth. As for the other end, well that depends on how regularly you consume kale.

Kale Salad with Sweet Cherries, Tangy Feta and Candied Walnuts

2018-07-11 11:18:05

Serves 4

This kale salad kicks things up a notch with the addition of sweet cherries, tangy feta, and candied walnuts. You'll never see kale the same way again.

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Prep Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

Prep Time

15 min

Total Time

1 hr 15 min

Ingredients

1. 1 bunch of Kale, washed
2. 1 cup of cherries, washed, pits removed and cut into pieces
3. 1/2 cup Feta cheese
4. 1/2 to 3/4 cup Candied Walnuts
5. 3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, divided
6. 1 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions

1. Wash your kale and tear it into salad sized pieces. Put it into a large bowl and drizzle 1 Tbsp. of EVOO over the kale. Massage the oil into the kale and let sit for at least one hour.
2. After letting your kale sit, add the cherries, feta cheese and walnuts. Top with remaining olive oil and vinegar. Enjoy.

Notes

1. *Cook time is wait time.
2. You can add more dressing if you like. Keep the the oil to vinegar ratio at 2 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.

By Meghan@CleanEatsFastFeets

Clean Eats, Fast Feets http://cleaneatsfastfeets.com/