Mango Kale Salad
This is the first, but certainly not the last salad post you will see on my blog. I am a big time salad gal. Give me all of the health, all the time. Over the past couple of years, I have come up with some pretty great salad recipes. My Mango Kale Salad is a new addition this year, but it is so good you'll want it around all summer long! Even my dad, who refuses to accept kale as a real food will eat this salad!
I critique salads on 3 main points
The amount of nutrition packed into one bite.
The balance between sweet and savory.
The texture.
I love a cold, crunchy salad so that's what I aim for when creating new salad dishes. That being said, this salad is one that is best served immediately. It is perfect for get togethers where you don't need to worry about leftovers. Don't get me wrong, this salad does taste great the next day, but it does lose the crunch factor after a while.
Regardless, I hope you love this salad as much as I do!
​Serves: 6 | Time Needed: 30 minutes |
Salad Ingredients
Half bundle of Kale
1 Mango
1 Cucumber
1 Avocado
Half bundle of Brussel Sprouts
1/2 a small Onion
Fresh Chives
Fresh Cilantro and Parsley
Crispy Onions
Sliced almonds
For The Dressing
1 Lemon squeezed
1 Orange squeezed
Zest of a Lemon
4 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
3 Tbsp Honey
1 Tbsp Red Chili Flakes
Salt / Pepper
So I'm going to let you know ahead of time, the measurements I've given may vary for you. I am a measure with your heart kind of gal, so I've tried to come up with estimates on the amounts used, but feel free to adjust as needed.
Salads are fun because you get to practice your chopping skills! I prefer to chop up my ingredients pretty small because I like to get as much into one bite as I can. So, get your best knife out because you'll spend a good bit dicing, but I promise it will be worth it.
You'll want to start by chopping your salad base - kale, brussel sprouts, and herbs into small bite size pieces. The smaller the better.
Pro Tip: Grab your kale by the base of the stalk with one hand. With your other hand, use your thumb and pointer finger to wrap around the stalk, and slide up the stalk with this hand to remove the kale leaves from the stalk. This will save you time on cutting up the kale, and you don't want to have the stalk in your salad anyways.
Once you're finished with your base, toss it into a salad bowl. These can hang tight for a bit while you finish prepping everything else.
Side note: I just want to point out that my herbs came from my garden!! I have been so excited to finally have my own herbs and vegetables to pull from at any time!
It took me so long to start my little garden, but now that I have one I am so tempted to turn my entire back yard into produce heaven. I honestly find the tending to be so relaxing, and it makes me so happy to successfully have my own produce at my fingertips. If you've been thinking about starting a garden, this is your sign to start one!
From there, dice up the rest of your ingredients and add into your salad bowl.
This will take some time but look at it as a chance to practice your knife skills. I honestly find this time to be super relaxing as well. Put on your favorite happy playlist and get to it.
Also, it was during this time that I realized I forgot to get cucumbers at the store. So the photos you see won't have cucumber in them, but I promise I always add it in there! You don't want to miss out on it. The cucumber adds a great crunch.
Again, on some of these - measure how you see fit. Recipes are general so feel free make it yours! If you prefer walnuts over almonds, go for it. That would be delicious on this salad. This is what I do for this specific salad but do whatever suits you best!
Moving onto the dressing! I have a ton of different dressing recipes, but my go to is usually a citrus, honey dressing, and this one goes perfectly with this salad! It's so easy to make a good dressing at home, and so much healthier for you than store bought products. Plus, if hosting your guests will feel like you took an extra step by making your own dressing.
Pro Tip: When making a salad dressing, I prefer to put my ingredients into a jar with a tight lid so I can shake everything up together. Seriously makes it so easy.
Combine your dressing ingredients into a jar. Do not forget the red pepper flakes on this one! There is a lot of sweet between the honey, fresh orange juice, and the mango. Salad needs a good balance! The pepper flakes add just a hint of heat, which goes so well with the orange and mango.
Once all ingredients are in your jar, give your jar a vigorous shake. Make sure you shake well so everything can really combine.
After you feel like your dressing is well combinedl, you are ready to add to your salad. This is a wonderful base dressing to add to your recipe book. It can go on pretty much any kind of salad, and the honey citrus is the base for so many of my dressing recipes. It's a really great place to start when it comes to making your own.
Toss well and serve immediately. This salad is great for a side dish at dinner during the summer. It also makes for a great lunch on its own or adding grilled chicken to it is delicious too.
As I mentioned, this will not be the only salad recipe you see from me this summer. I make salads weekly, and love trying out different ideas. I aim to prove that it is possible to have a nutrient rich salad that is satisfying and delicious to everyone!
I really hope you will give this salad a try, and please feel free to send feedback if you do! I love sharing my recipes with others, so be on the look out for so many more posts like this to come. Have a wonderful week!
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