This winter chopped kale salad is the perfect healthy side dish that is special enough for your holiday table, or just for beating those winter blues! Chopped kale and spinach are massaged with a simple lemon cardamom vinaigrette, then tossed with fresh parsley, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and marcona almonds.
One of my favorite things about this time of year, behind the bonus time with friends and family and my love of gift-giving, is, of course, the food! And, while I’m all about eating chewy gluten-free chocolate chip cookies when you want them, having that glass of champagne (or two) at the holiday party, and having french toast bake for Christmas morning breakfast, somewhere along the line my body starts also craving a big dose of leafy greens too. Maintaining the mindset that holiday treats aren’t off-limits to me, while also listening to my body when it’s telling me to slow down, drink some water, make some kale, or eat some soup is what helps me get through the holidays feeling great.
With that in mind, when we were thinking about a holiday veggie side dish, this winter chopped kale salad was the first thing to come to mind! It has a base of (my favorite) lacinato kale and chopped spinach, combined with a simple, but tasty, lemon-cardamom dressing. You’ll massage the kale with the dressing to soften it up a bit, then toss it with the spinach. Next, to really make this dish holiday-worthy, we top it off with fresh goat cheese, parsley, marcona almonds, and pomegranate seeds for a little extra oomph. These flavor-boosters also ensure that this dish won’t be the forgotten salad sitting on the corner of the buffet table!
This winter chopped kale salad is also a great candidate for making in advance! You can simply toss it together in the morning then serve it in the evening. We hope you enjoy it as much as we did!
Winter Chopped Kale Salad with Lemon Cardamom Dressing
Ingredients
For the Dressing:
- 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 small lemon
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
For the Salad
- 1 bunch lacinato kale
- 1 bunch spinach
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 2 ounces fresh goat cheese
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1/2 cup marcona almonds
Instructions
- To prepare the dressing, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, and honey, then slowly drizzle in the olive oil until the dressing begins to thicken. Then, add in the salt, pepper, and cardamom and whisk to combine.
- Wash and dry the spinach, then remove the stems from the kale and coarsely chop it and add it to a large bowl. Pour half the dressing over the kale and massage the dressing into it, until the kale starts to soften slightly.
- Remove the stems from the bunch of spinach then slice into 1/2 inch pieces and add to the bowl with the kale. Add the parsley to the bowl along with the remaining dressing and toss to combine.
- Top the salad with crumbled goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and marcona almonds and serve!
Nutrition
Delicious! I made this for our Thanksgiving dinner. The look alone added such a beautiful holiday dimension to our spread. I wasn’t sure there would be enough dressing for all the salad but it was the perfect amount! Massaging the kale with half the dressing first was a great tip, thank you! I swapped in feta (taste preference) and with the pomegranate seeds and almonds this had such a great crunch and burst of flavor – super duper recipe! Plus, the leftovers are still standing the next day, score 🙂 I will definitely make this for Christmas (and any time I feel I need a special salad!) thanks to you all – happy holidays!!
Amazing!! So glad this was a hit, Jessica!