Zippy Kale Salad with Fennel, Sweet Onion, and Goji Berries

My garden is going nuts this year. I've never had so much kale! Everything is so lush and beautiful. I planted rows of sweet onions amongst the kale and other vegetables. Little did I know last spring, but allium vegetables are great at deterring aphids. Almost all of my kale this year is aphid-free. We've been making kale sautés, kale and egg frittatas, creamed kale, kale in soup, kale salads…..kale everything!

This raw kale salad has a zippy grapefruit dressing that counteracts the bitter of the kale. Although the amount of chopped kale called for in this recipe seems like a lot, keep in mind that after it's massaged with the dressing it looks like a small salad for about 6 people! I've been using siberian kale from my garden in my kale salads because it is so tender and mild, however any variety of kale will work. 

Kale is a vegetable powerhouse! It's high in sulforaphane, a compound that stimulates your body's own production of powerful antioxidant and detoxification proteins, which help to safely remove environmental toxins from your body and protect your cells. If you want to learn more about detoxification and how you can protect yourself from environmental toxins….as they relate to blood sugar dysregulation, diabetes, obesity, infertility, and just about every chronic disease……you can register for the FREE online Detox Summit going on now through August 11th. Each day's talks will only be available for 24 hours so be sure to register today. I listened to them yesterday on my iPhone plugged into some speakers while pitting 20 pounds of organic cherries!

Zippy Kale Salad with Fennel, Sweet Onion, and Goji Berries

I created this salad because of the fennel, kale, and sweet onions growing in my garden and I have to say that the flavor combination is out-of-this-world good! I think you will really enjoy it, however if you don't have sweet onions or are following a low-FODMAP diet, add a 1/2 cup of chopped chives or green onions instead. If you are avoiding nightshades then be sure to omit the goji berries….they are part of the nightshade family! You could replace them with dried currants or cranberries if desired. Tip: be sure to remove the thick rib/stem that runs down the center of each kale leaf before chopping. 

Salad:

16 cups chopped kale

1 large fennel bulb, cut into strips

1 medium sweet onion, cut into half moons

1/2 cup goji berries

Dressing:

1/2 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons raw apple cider vinegar

1 to 2 garlic cloves, crushed (optional)

1 teaspoon sea salt

Place the chopped kale into a very large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the dressing. Pour the dressing over the chopped kale and massage into it with clean hands until it is soft and wilted. I like to let it rest for about 30 minutes to completely let the dressing do it's magic. After that you can toss in the remaining salad ingredients, toss together, and serve. Source: www.NourishingMeals.com

More Kale Recipes:

Creamed Kale (dairy-free)

Sweet and Spicy Kale Chips

Kale with Caramelized Onions

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