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Kale Salad with Apples and Pumpkin Seed Clusters

Kale Salad with Pumpkin Seed Clusters and apple slices in a bowl
  • Serves:  6
  • Prep Time:  30 min
  • Cook Time:  15 min

Ingredients

Salad

  • 2 bunches Tuscan kale, stemmed and finely chopped
  • 2 Stemilt sweetango or honeycrisp apples, cut into matchsticks
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Pumpkin Seed Clusters

  • 3/4 cup pumpkin seeds
  • ¼ cup sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Creamy Apple Cider Dressing

  • 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons apple cider or apple juice
  • 2 tablespoons unfiltered apple cider vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper

Method

  1. Line a large plate with parchment paper.

  2. In a dry pan over medium high heat add the pumpkin seeds and cook, stirring constantly, until toasted and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the pumpkin seeds from the skillet.

  3. Add the sugar to the same skillet over medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir the sugar constantly, cooking until it is evenly melted and light brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Return the toasted pumpkin seeds to the pan and add the cinnamon and pepper and stir to coat well. Pour the mixture onto the prepared plate. Once the mixture is cool enough to handle, break apart into clusters.

  4. Meanwhile, make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, apple cider, apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, honey, cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Whisk until combined and smooth.

  5. Assemble the salad. In a large bowl, combine the kale with ½ cup of the dressing. Using clean hands, squeeze or “massage” the kale while also distributing the dressing evenly until it is well coated and tender. Massaging the kale will also make the kale more tender. Add more dressing as needed.

  6. Top the finished kale salad with the apple matchsticks, goat cheese, and pumpkin seed clusters.


*Note: Kale will keep its crunch for a couple of days, even when dressed. This salad is great to make-ahead recipe for weekday lunches.