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You are here: Home / Salads / Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing | Whole 30, Vegan

Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing | Whole 30, Vegan

July 2, 2018 by Hayley 6 Comments

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Creamy strawberry balsamic dressing goes perfectly with this crunchy kale salad loaded with lots of textures and tastes. Hard to believe it’s sugar free!

Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing.

There is nothing better than picking up fresh fruits and vegetables from the farmers market and creating a delicious meal. My husband and I love waking up early on Saturday morning to pick up our produce for the week. I have been buying kale by the armfuls at our local market and they’ve had some perfectly ripe strawberries too. With a few more ingredients I was able to whip up this beautiful kale salad with strawberry balsamic dressing in no time.

Kale seems to be one of those foods that people like to have strong opinions on. I can’t tell you how many times people have told me they don’t like kale or just don’t understand it. The secret is all in the preparation. Eating plain raw kale isn’t really that great. But toss some oil on it and give it a little massage and it transforms into something completely different and much tastier.

When the talk of “healthy” foods comes up in the office everyone always turns to me and says, “Hayley probably eats kale!” And I have been called on more than one occasion to explain how to make kale. I know it’s not the hip super food anymore, but I still stand behind how delicious and wonderful it can be. We’ve even been known to make kale chips for an evening snack food instead of getting chips from the gas station.

Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

If you’re not completely sold on the kale you can just cover this salad in strawberries and the amazing balsamic dressing you can make with them. I could seriously just drink this stuff straight from the jar. It’s hard to believe that there isn’t any added sugar in this dressing. I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t made it myself! In fact, my husband and I don’t even use store bought dressing anymore. We can whip some up from whatever is in the fridge and pantry in minutes and have exactly what we need.

It may sound like we are health food obsessed people, but believe me, we are far from it some days! We just enjoy eating food that tastes good and makes us feel good. I know I can definitely tell a difference if we had McDonald’s for dinner versus something I cooked at home by the way we feel the next day. We aren’t always successful in eating healthy, but it gets a lot easier in the summer when so much delicious, fresh produce is available!

Tips for Making Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing:

  • Only oil and massage the kale you plan on eating at that time. While kale lasts several days in the fridge in an airtight container it gets kinda slimy if it’s already been prepped a while in advance.
  • This recipe makes pretty thick and creamy dressing. If you would like it to be runnier you can thin it out with a little more olive oil. I would just add it to the dressing 1/2 tablespoon a time until you get the desired consistency.
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Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing.

Kale Salad with Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

Creamy strawberry balsamic dressing goes perfectly with this crunchy kale salad loaded with lots of textures and tastes. Hard to believe it's sugar free!

Course Salad
Cuisine American
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 People
Calories 204 kcal
Author Hayley

Ingredients

Kale Salad

  • 1 Bunch Kale
  • 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Pinch Salt
  • 2 Cups Strawberries Diced
  • 1/2 Medium Red Onion Diced
  • 1 Avocado Diced
  • 1/2 Cup Pecans Crushed
  • Fresh Basil for Garnish if desired

Strawberry Balsamic Dressing

  • 1 Cup Strawberries Diced
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil
  • 1 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp Fresh Basil Or 1 tsp dried
  • 1/4 Tsp Salt

Instructions

  1. Cut or tear your kale off of the stems and chop into bit sized pieces. The stem can be discarded or saved with other vegetable scraps for homemade stock. 

  2. In a large bowl add the kale, 1 tablespoon of olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. Using your hands gently massage the kale for about a minute. This will help to soften the leaves. Set aside.

  3. Prepare the strawberries, red onion, and avocado. Add the red onion, avocado, and 2 cups of the diced strawberries to the kale.

  4. In a blender or food processor add all of the ingredients for the dressing. Blend until smooth and no chunks remain, about 1 minute. Add more oil if a thinner consistency is desired at this point.

  5. Toss the salad, dress, and serve immediately.

Recipe Notes

Pecans can be substituted with any other nuts or left off entirely if desired!

You may also like:

  •  Grilled Napa Cabbage with Three Ingredient Dressing | Whole30, Paleo
  • Roasted Asparagus and Tomatoes | Whole30, Paleo
  • Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins with Strawberry Glaze 
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Filed Under: 30 Minutes or Less, Course, Dairy-Free, Diet Type, Gluten-Free, Other, recipe, Salads, Sides, Sugar-Free, Vegetarian, Whole30 Tagged With: kale, salad, strawberry, vegetarian, whole 30

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Lauren

    July 9, 2018 at 12:50 pm

    5 stars
    Nothing beats a good salad recipe! Perfect for a side or add some protein to the top and you’ve got a meal loaded with fresh veggies (and in this case fruit!)

    Lauren
    http://livebythesunshine.com

    Reply
    • Hayley

      July 13, 2018 at 10:11 am

      Yes! I usually always have some shredded chicken in the fridge and it goes perfect on this!

      Reply
  2. Thrifdeedubai

    July 9, 2018 at 1:07 pm

    5 stars
    This looks sooooo flavourful & healthy! A former pupil of mine was the first to introduce me to the marvel that is balsamic & strawberry combo & ive loved it ever since! I can imagine having this with some steak on the side & be totally full & happy!

    Reply
    • Hayley

      July 13, 2018 at 10:12 am

      That’s making my mouth water! I think I have to have this salad and a steak for dinner now!

      Reply
  3. Kendra B

    July 9, 2018 at 1:20 pm

    5 stars
    Yumm-o! Look how colorful that salad is!! This looks gorgeous. 😀 So.. I pinned it for later!

    Reply
    • Hayley

      July 13, 2018 at 10:12 am

      Yay! Thanks Kendra! Fun colors makes eating vegetables much easier!

      Reply

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Welcome!

Hello! I'm Hayley the author, recipe developer, and taste tester for this blog. I love creating simple, healthy recipes that everyday people can enjoy. I share recipes and the tips and tricks I have learned on my journey. I'm excited to share my meals with you! Read More…

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