Do you have your garden overflowing with ripe veggies right now? Me too! I have a healthy, scrumptious, bursting-with-flavor kale salad that I’m betting will become a favorite for you to use up those nutritious vegetables. It is for me.
The thing that takes the most time when making this kale salad is chopping up the healthy ingredients. My all time favorite utensil for doing this is my Chop Wizard. I have the one with two trays. One that cuts larger cubes and the smaller one that cuts very small cubes or strips. For the red pepper and onions, I used the larger slicer. Core, quarter, and remove the seeds and ribs on the red pepper. One at a time, put the pepper quarter on the slicer and lower the lid pushing the pepper against the blades on the slicer cutting it into nice cubes. For the onion, peel off the skin, cut into slices, put a slice on the tray and press the lid down again. It can’t get any easier and quicker than that!
For the jicama, garlic, and jalapeno pepper, I used the small cubing tray. For the jicama, you need to peel, then cut about 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Close and press down on the lid and you end up with skinny strips. The jalapeno pepper needs to be quartered with the ribs and seeds removed. Close and press, cutting it into small cubes just like the bigger cubes of the red pepper. The garlic needs to be skinned and sliced. Then press it through the small slicing tray and you end up with with diced garlic. Easy, huh. Save the garlic as it is going to be used in the dressing.
Halve the cherry tomatoes. Rinse and drain the black beans. Chop about 1/2 a bunch of cilantro. Strip the kale off the thick stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Now comes the real fun! Dump the kale, diced jalapenos, corn, beans, jicama, red pepper cubes, cilantro, and tomato halves into a large serving bowl.
Mix the contents of the bowl until well combined.
Wow! Doesn’t that get your mouth watering? Wait! We still have to make the dressing.
The dressing has fresh garlic, honey, dijon mustard, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder, lime juice and olive oil. It’s super easy and fast to make. Put all ingredients but the olive oil in the food processor. Pulse for 10 seconds. Scrape down and process again till it is well blended without chunks. With lid on, slowly drizzle olive oil into the mixture. Pour into a jar with a tight lid. Keep any extra in the refrigerator, using within 5 days.
Right before you are ready to eat, drizzle the dressing over the kale salad.
Add crumbled feta cheese. I like this sheep and goat milk blend.
Now it’s time to indulge in this super nutritious, super delicious, fresh veggie salad!
- 6 cups torn kale leaves, stems removed
- 1 can black beans
- 1 cup fresh or frozen corn
- 1 red pepper
- 1/2 small jicama
- 1 small onion
- 1-3 jalapeno peppers
- 1 cup halved cherry or grape tomatoes
- 1/2 bunch cilantro
- Feta cheese
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup lime juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Wash and pat dry the kale leaves. Strip the leaves from the stems and tear into bite-sized pieces. Place in a salad serving bowl. Wash and drain the can of black beans adding to the salad bowl. Add 1 cup fresh or frozen corn. Core and remove the seeds and ribs from a red pepper. Dice into cubes. Peel a small jicama. You will use 1/2 of the jicama so tightly wrap the rest and put in the refrigerator. Cut into slices and then cut the slices into thin strips. Add it to the salad. Remove the skin from the onion and cut into slices. Then dice into cubes and separate the sections. Add it to the salad. Depending on how "hot" you like your salad, core and remove the ribs and seeds from one-three jalapeno peppers. I prefer using only one. Dice into small pieces. Cut cherry or grape tomatoes in half and add to the salad. Strip the leaves from 1/2 a bunch of cilantro. Cut the leaves in about 1/2. Some whole leaves are fine. Mix all the ingredients in the salad bowl together. Top with crumbled or chunks of Feta cheese. Refrigerate salad while making the dressing.
- Peel 2 cloves of garlic and dice. Put into a food processor bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon onion powder, 1/4 cup lime juice. Put the lid on the food processor and pulse about 10-12 times. Scrape down the bowl and pulse about 5 more times. Then turn the processor on and stream 1/4 cup olive oil into the bowl with the processor running.
- Put the dressing into a jar. Right before serving, pour the dressing onto the Mexican kale salad and toss. Serve immediately. Refrigerate any extra dressing in a covered jar.
