Strawberry, Kale & Feta Salad

Name: Strawberry, Kale & Feta Salad
Prep time: PT-468453H41M17S
Total time: PT-468453H41M17S
Ingredients: ¼ cup balsamic vinegar; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 1 tablespoon poppy seeds; 1 tablespoon honey; 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard; ½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt; ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 large head kale, stems removed and thinly sliced; 1-pound strawberries, trimmed and halved; ½ cup crumbled feta cheese; ½ cup chopped walnuts or pecans, toasted

By Julie Andrews

What are your favorite summer foods? From all of the recipes I’ve posted now, I’m sure you can tell I am a lover of all the berries. I also know many of us are trying to find ways to fit in more dark leafy green veggies (they’re uber-nutritious!), so why not combine the two in one fabulous salad?!

The first step to making this salad is whipping up a quick and simple poppy seed vinaigrette dressing. It requires olive oil, balsamic vinegar, a little honey and Dijon mustard and poppy seeds. A pinch of salt and pepper and you’re good to go! You can make the dressing ahead of time and store it in a glass jar or container in the fridge and have a delicious homemade salad dressing all week long!

The next step is to “massage” the chopped kale with some of the dressing. This will help tone down the bitterness of the kale and break it down so it’s super appetizing and easy to eat. I promise you will fall in love with kale if you follow this simple practice. It’s also nice because kale is super hearty, so you can pre-dress it/massage it and store in the fridge for a few days and it’ll still be good to eat.

Once you’re ready to dive it, top the salad with fresh strawberries, feta cheese, toasted walnuts and a bit more of the dressing. It can be served as a side dish, or round it out with some protein – salmon or chicken make a great accompaniment!

Yum!