OK, listen. Summer is NOT nearing an end. I see you people going back to school shopping and planning your fall schedules out. No way! You will be catching me poolside soaking up every bit of warmth, sunshine and consuming my body weight in all the summer produce! My Summer Blueberry Kale Salad perfectly describes my #noboringsalad ever philosophy and is keeping summer hot with all its fresh flavor!
I don't believe in boring salads. There should be no such thing. There are so many elements, textures, and flavors that can be added to any green to send your taste buds soaring! When I showed you how I like to make my Strawberry Spinach Salad I gave you my go-to list of how I put together every salad I make. This one is no different.
This biggest key to remember when making a kale salad is to massage Massage MASSAGE the dressing into the kale before adding any toppings (I used the same technique in my Winter Kale Salad too). I like to buy prewashed-prechopped kale in a big bag. It saves me so much time and I can never say no to that. The lemon honey dijon dressing paired along side of this is to die for and the simplest thing to make. Pour all of the ingredients into a mason jar and shake to combine. Tastes test - add more salt/pepper/honey/dijon - a pinch more of whatever you like and wa-laa it's finished! It takes more effort to go to the store to pick out a dressing filled with ingredients you can't pronounced than to make this at home in 60 seconds with 6 ingredients.
Place a couple big handfuls of kale into a large bowl and pour half of the dressing over. Now it is time to get messy. Using both hands, gently rub and massage the dressing until each piece is coated and the kale starts to soften. It will become shiny and wilt slightly, getting nice and tender from the dressing. Since kale is so tough this is a MUST in making sure a kale salad is palatable and delicious. Massage for 1-2 minutes and the hard part is over. Pour over your sunflower kernels for a salty crunch, fresh blueberries for a burst of sweet flavor and to round it all off creamy blueberry goat cheese. I buy mine at Trader Joe's and it my favorite cheese that they carry. We always have some in our fridge.
That is it. Literally so simple, so fast and so delicious. This is perfect by itself or serves it alongside cedar plank grilled salmon, grilled chicken or even some grilled shrimp (grilling is a must for all the summer foods!). So say goodbye to boring salads! You will be eating Summer Blueberry Kale Salad for the rest of the season!
Recipe
Summer Blueberry Kale Salad
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
Description
Summer Blueberry Kale Salad is simple but bursting with bright flavors. Enjoy for a vibrant summer meal!
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 Ounces of Kale -destemmed and chopped (about 4-5 big handfuls)
- 1 Pint Blueberries
- 4-6 Ounces of Trader Joe's Blueberry Goat Cheese
- ⅓ Cup Sunflower Kernels
- Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Dressing
- ¼ Cup Olive Oil
- 2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tablespoons Honey
- Pinch of Salt & Pepper to taste
Instructions
Dressing:
- In a small mason jar add all of the dressing ingredients.
- Place the lid on tight and shake vigorously for 10 seconds until everything is well combined.
- Taste and add salt - pepper or any other element to taste that you think is missing or want more of.
- Shake again to combine.
Salad:
- Wash, dry, destem and finely chop kale. Or buy prepacked chopped kale. Add to a large bowl.
- Add about half of the dressing over kale. Gently massage the dressing into the kale with both hands until all the leaves are coated and the kale has begun to wilt slightly.
- Add in crumbled goat cheese, sunflower kernels, and blueberries.
- Toss to combine. Add fresh cracked black pepper on top.
- Serve immediately and drizzle with the remaining dressing.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Serve with chicken, shrimp, salmon for a delicious and complete meal.
- This salad will keep for up to 1 day in the fridge for leftovers.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Method: Cooking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 224
- Sugar: 8.8 g
- Sodium: 159.8 mg
- Fat: 17.8 g
- Carbohydrates: 12.9 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 5.8 g
- Cholesterol: 8.7 mg
