A hearty kale salad with sweet cranberry makes for a fulfilling meal. It’s healthy, nutritious, and easy to whip up when you’re in a hurry! Kale and cranberry are the perfect ingredients, which is why today we’re making the whole foods kale cranberry salad recipe!Â
This recipe is extremely easy to make and takes no time to prepare!
Whole Foods Kale Cranberry Salad Recipe
Ingredients Â
- 1 bunch rinsed and dried kale thinly sliced
- 1 cup cranberry dried
- 1/4 cup almonds slivered
- 1 shallot peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 minced garlic clove
- 1 tbsp  Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1/2 piece zest and juice of a lemon
- Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp  olive oil
Optional add-ins
- 1/4 cup goat cheese or crumbled blue cheese
InstructionsÂ
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit
- Line a baking tray with parchment paper
- Arrange almonds on a tray
- Put the tray in the oven and bake almonds till golden brown, about 5 minutes
- Remove almonds from the oven and set them aside
- Add oil to a large pan and lightly saute the shallots over medium heat
- Add garlic to the pan and let it cook with shallots, for a couple of minutes or till fragrant
- Remove from flame and pour the garlic shallot mixture into a medium-sized bowl
- Add vinegar, mustard, zest, and lime juice to the bowl and stir well
- Season the dressing with salt and pepper
- In a separate bowl add kale, remaining olive oil, and salt
- Give it all a good toss
- Massage the kale leaves with your hands till tender
- Pour the dressing over the kale
- Sprinkle almonds and cheese
- Give it all a toss to make sure everything is mixed well
- Place in fridge and let it chill for 10 minutes
- Enjoy!
Tips for this recipe
- The almonds can be baked a few days ahead of preparing the salad, you can store them in an airtight container and refrigerate
- To make the most out of our kale, you have to massage the flavors. Kale needs time to marinate, else it will end up tasting bitter and inedible
- The dressing can be stored separately and stored in the fridge
- The dressing can be used on other salads as well
- You can substitute red wine vinegar with brown rice vinegar
And voila! You’ve made yourself a healthy flavorful serving of Kale and Cranberry Salad. The kale in this salad provides fiber and vitamins for normal gut health and immunity, while cranberries help prevent urinary tract infections. Both together in a meal improve one’s health by leaps and bounds.
Side Dishes
While salad itself is a side dish to other heartier proteins and carbs, that doesn’t mean a salad can’t be enjoyed as a main dish. The whole foods kale cranberry salad recipe can bring crispy freshness to Instant Pot Sesame Chicken. Fish pairs spectacularly with Kale, try Salmon with Asian Walnut Slaw, balancing out the protein and fiber. Add more color and crunch to Cavatappi Pasta with Tomato and Spinach, complementing all the textures. For an entirely vegan meal, have the salad with Tomato Bruschetta for a tangy combination.
More Dressings
No salad is complete without a good dressing to tie in all the flavors.
- A good Silken Tofu Ranch Dressing never bothered anyone, give it a try
- Tahini is a favorite among cooks to have with salad
- If you prefer a creamy and spicy dip then Velveeta Spinach Dip is made for you
- Or if you simply want to experiment with flavors and condiments, slap a spoonful of Vitamix Peanut Butter onto your salad.
More Kale Recipes
Kale is quite a versatile superfood, it fits right in with other ingredients and raises the flavor palate. Kale Bread is a unique take on healthy green carbs. Just like Kale, Cauliflower pairs with everything perfectly as well, make sure to try Cauliflower and Kale Recipe. Even Baby Food can be made out of kale. Still, looking for more? Have a look at our Kale Recipe Archives.
If a salad is what you’re looking for then may I interest you in a Dutch Lettuce Salad?
Health Benefits
Let’s talk about Cranberries. They are called superfoods, for good reason. Firstly they’re high in antioxidants thus they’re good for heart health. But what they’re most known for is reducing the risk of Urinary Tract Infections(UTIs) in certain groups, although they do not cure UTIs once they occur.
Cranberries also maintain gut health, they maintain good bacteria in our intestines and keep our mouths, teeth, and gums safe from disease.
I am a yogi with a smoldering passion for nutrition and healthy living. I have been a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach for over 11 years and now I want to help you. My mission is to inspire as many people as I can to expand their awareness and broaden their horizons by giving a voice to the choices that create abundant, radiant health. Here I share deliciously simple plant-based recipes, nutrition resources, detox tips, and a glimpse into my whole lifestyle.
