"Kale Italia" Salad

I love a hearty salad with lots of flavor.  This salad isn't so "Italia," but it is packed with kale and other delicious and nutritious  veggies. I try to ensure that everything I cook has a nutritional purpose, along with great flavor. This salad fits the bill.

A great salad starts with the greens.  I typically build a salad with dark green greens and other colorful lettuces. This salad has become a favorite. I start with Earthbound Organics "Kale Italia," which is a blend of kale, arugula, and radicchio. To balance the peppery bitter greens, I add a variety of sweeter ingredients and top it off with toasted sliced almonds for protein. It's a great spring and summer salad.

Ingredients:

1 box of kale, arugula, radicchio mix

1/2 English cucumber peeled and sliced in thin half moons

1 Apple, any variety, cored and chopped

6 Dried apricots sliced in thin strips

1/2 cup low sugar dried cranberries

1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Dressed with olive oil, balsamic vinegar (I blend red and white balsamic), salt, pepper

Options: sautéed firm tofu (try it with coconut oil and Tamari) or chicken substitute.  Also, add your favorite veggies such as celery, carrots, radishes, avocado, or thinly sliced red onion.

Tip: When you build a salad, balance the flavor by including items from all six tastes: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, pungent, astringent. According to ancient Indian mind-body medicine, Ayurveda, when you balance the tastes, you have less cravings. This makes sense if you think about the times you eat something sweet, then crave something salty.