Kale and Feta Salad {with Homemade Honey Vinegar Dressing}

Over the holidays I was part of a Facebook group created to motivate and encourage one another to get through the holidays while still eating healthy (enough) and making time for exercise.  Of course, this is easier said than done during the holiday season, but with a little added support, it sure helped me!

One of the members of the group posted a gorgeous picture of a delicious looking salad, and I thought I need to make this ASAP.  I love to eat salad, and love to cook in general, but for some reason I don’t enjoy making salads.  I also have NEVER made homemade dressing but it was something I have wanted to start doing because I consistently throw out store-bought dressings (we can’t seem to use them before they expire).  Also, homemade dressings are inevitably healthier since you know exactly what ingredients they contain.

Well I can’t tell you how glad I am to have discovered this recipe.  I particularly love the fact that kale is tougher than other leafy greens so you can prep the salad ahead of time, including the salad dressing, and it stays crisp for a few days!

I have made this salad several different ways already, and this time I had spinach left over from another recipe so I thought I would add that as well.  Just keep in mind if you do make it ahead of time, add the spinach right before you plan to eat the salad to prevent the spinach from wilting too much. Also, I buy reduced-fat cheese almost 100 percent of the time but for some reason I had regular feta cheese in the fridge so I used that instead of reduced fat cheese.

This healthy salad includes nutrients such as fiber, and vitamins A, C, E, and K.  While it’s a fantastic addition to any meal, I paired it with this Barley and Bulgar and Vegetable Vegan Casserole from Rachel Cooks for an even healthier combination.

Kale and Feta Salad {with Homemade Honey Vinegar Dressing}

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch kale, stemmed and chopped (about 4 cups)

2 cups baby spinach

½ cucumber, sliced

½ cup crumbled feta cheese

½ cup shredded carrots

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup olive oil

salt and black pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Add kale to a large bowl.
2. Whisk vinegar, honey, and mustard together in a small bowl. Continue whisking while slowly adding olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Pour dressing over kale and toss with tongs until kale appears soft.
4. Add spinach, carrots, cucumber and cheese to kale.
5. Cover with plastic wrap for about 1 hour in refrigerator before serving.

Adapted from The Food Network

NUTRITION INFORMATION (1 serving)

237 Calories, 18 g Fat, 5 g Saturated Fat, 15 g Total Carbohydrates, 2 g Fiber, 6 g Protein

This Kale and Feta Salad recipe first appeared on Chocolate Slopes.

© 2015 Kristy Hegner     Disclaimer

 

• Posted in: Vegetable and Fruit Side Dishes
• Tagged: apple cider vinegar, homemade dressing, honey, kale, salad, spinach