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This 3 greens refrigerator salad brings together kale, swiss chard, and collard greens with a lemony vinaigrette for a salad that you can make on Sunday and enjoy for several days!
Let’s talk nutrient-dense greens for a hot minute! We all know that it’s important to eat our greens, but if we don’t have a good grasp of WHY they’re important, we may not follow-through (or at least I don’t know that I would). They’re important because you can get a wider array of micronutrients at a greater concentration with just a few strategic greens on your plate. Nutrients such as Vitamin A, Vitamin K, Vitamin C, Manganese, Copper, Potassium, and Calcium show up REALLY BIG TIME in kale, for example. Kale really is king. IN FACT, did you know that there’s more calcium present in 100 g of kale than in 100 g of cow’s milk? It’s a pretty impressive food.
Micronutrients, such as the ones mentioned above, help keep our body operating in tip-top shape. While MACROnutrients (protein, fat, and carbohydrates) are important FUEL to keep us running, MICROnutrients are what help us make great use of that fuel. They help us build stronger bones, healthier connective tissues, keep neurons firing, muscles recovering, and our metabolism wheels oiled.
While all of this may sound great, nothing is more unappetizing (to me) than chewing on a raw piece of kale. I don’t like feeling like a rabbit, so I like to concoct more delicious and interesting ways to get these powerhouse greens on my plate. Insert: the refrigerator salad!
What on EARTH is a refrigerator salad? It’s a salad that you whip up, store in the refrigerator, and enjoy a few scoops at a time throughout the week. Unlike normal lettuces, these dense leafy greens (kale, collard, and chard) can actually stand up to being dressed and then left. These greens wilt more slowly and, therefore, can be enjoyed for days to come! I really enjoy a refrigerator salad that’s simple enough (flavor wise) to go with any meal I may be plating. This salad calls for three different dense leafy greens + one mega herb, because I like the texture difference AND the slight micronutrient variety available in the combination. For example, collards have a good amount of folate when compared to kale + Swiss chard and the parsley (if you choose to use it) offers an impressive amount of iron. The greens are finely chopped, which is key to the “I don’t want to be chewing for days” initiative. Then they’re dressed simply with fresh lemon juice, EVOO, and sea salt. Toss, massage, and either plate right away or store for a few days out in the week!
As for the leftovers, I’ve found that this 3 Greens Refrigerator Salad is best for about 3 days. On the 4th day, it starts to wilt a little too much for my taste.
I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it helps you add a quick scoop of wonderfully nutritious greens to your plates throughout the week!
Ingredients
For the Salad:
- 1 head lacinato kale destemmed
- 1 bunch collard greens destemmed
- 1 bunch swiss chard destemmed
- 1 head parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Finely shred the kale and collard greens, and roughly chop the swiss chard and parsley. Add to a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt. Add to the bowl of greens and massage in the dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate up to 4 days.
Lindsay says
This looks so healthy and fresh; perfect for spring (even though we are dealing with a mess of snow in my neck of the woods as I type this)! I’ve been looking for healthy ideas that I can prep ahead of time during the months where we spend a lot of nights out at the ballpark. This will go on rotation!
Laura says
This is really helping me to get my greens in! I’m a new mom, too, and need food that is prepped that I can grab and go while nursing or while getting ready in the mornings for work. This is so tasty and will for sure become a staple in my rotation. I love the addition of a whole bunch of parsley! I couldn’t help adding a piece of crumbled bacon to my serving today… Thanks for making it easy and tasty to get a serving of greens!
Katie says
I love this salad! I have been making it every week since this post was made – it is perfect to have on-hand to add to any meal! I love the flavor combinations. I even swap parsley for cilantro sometimes!
Amber Link says
I’m so glad you’re enjoying it! The cilantro sounds like the perfect refreshing swap as the weather is warming up!
Mandy says
This is such an easy recipe that packs a punch of flavor! I got a ton of hydroponic Tuscan kale this week at our local farmers market, so I used that to make this salad. I normally make a huge batch of lemony kale, but heading into warm weather, this is exactly what I want!! The best part is that the kiddos love it too. So, I guess I’ll share with them. This big batch will make lunchtime and busy evenings easy. I can’t wait to try it with collards and chard (which I also love).
Danielle says
Thank you so much for this salad base! Ever since I saw your insta video with kale, cabbage and cilantro I’ve been making it and I’m to remotely sick of it. I use it for the base of at least one meal everyday. I alternate between red and green cabbage and the type of kale but seriously, it’s perfect. I feel so much better eating these clean greens, thank you for sharing!!!
Brandi Schilhab says
Love that, Danielle! We’re so glad you’ve added this to your rotation!
Maria says
hi, my spanish friends say: only dress the salad with the oil. make an extra little container with the salt and lemon. and add salt/lemon only then when you eat it. The oil will help preserve the greens, so they stay fresh a bit longer, the lemon and the salt will wilt the greens, so just add them at the last moment.
I hope it is usefull for you. I am a big fan of your ‘cook once eat all week’ book. i have a complex diet and i can eat almost half the (adapted) recipes in your book. Big fan. Thanks.
Brandi Schilhab says
Thanks for the tip, Maria!