Kale Salad with Creamy Maple Yogurt Dressing

14 Jun Kale Salad with Creamy Maple Yogurt Dressing

So I was tempted to dress this salad up with vibrant veggies just to give it some color.  But then I said “naaaah”, it’s too good just the way it is! And I really like the idea of a super simple salad that you can toss together last minute and pair with any of your favorite proteins like pork, chicken, shrimp or scallops (it goes awesome with all of them!) Sometimes when I feel like I’ve had a rough weekend and need some greens, this is my go-to.  Kale is the perfect base for a healthy salad; it’s loaded in Vitamin A, C, Calcium, Iron and even disease-fighting phytochemicals. Plus this salad is really delicious- picture crisp kale tossed in a creamy, naturally sweetened yogurt dressing.  This salad is naturally gluten free. If you want to make it dairy free, skip the Greek yogurt and use a plain unsweetened coconut or almond yogurt instead (adjust the amount of syrup to taste.)   Love this recipe? Please Share it!

Makes approximately 4 medium sized side salads

INGREDIENTS

• 1 big bunch of kale, stems removed, chopped small
• 1 large clove garlic, finely minced
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1/3  cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/3 cup plain 1% or 2% Greek yogurt (if you’re dairy free use plain unsweeteneed almond or coconut yogurt instead)
• Pure maple syrup to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Set kale aside in a bowl.
2. In a separate medium sized bowl, whisk together the garlic and lemon juice. Slowly add the extra virgin olive oil with one hand while whisking constantly with the other hand.  Whisk in yogurt until smooth and creamy.
3. Add two tablespoons of pure maple syrup to start and taste.  Season with salt. If necessary, add a touch more maple syrup until the dressing is balanced and just sweet enough.
4. Toss chopped kale with creamy dressing and let sit for about 5 to 10 minutes before serving. Toss again. Enjoy!

SO, WHAT’S THE NUTRITION BALANCE?

This recipe has a small amount of carbohydrates (from the kale) plus fat (from the dressing.)  Add a protein like shrimp or chicken on the side.  You can also add a touch more carbs on the side like veggies on the salad or a small serving of fruit if you feel like you need more than just greens to fill up.  If the greens plus protein fill you up, then skip the extra carbs.