Fall Kale Salad

Lately my meals have included a lot of squash. I have tried new recipes and have been experimenting which is very fun for me.  I am learning to love squash and I'm not complaining. Last week we enjoyed a butternut squash lasagna (recipe may be posted soon!) that was unlike any lasagna I have ever had, but it was flavorful and satisfying and I did not miss the meat or a tomato sauce at all. With all of the squash around here, there have not been as many greens. This week I felt like my body was needing some more green vs orange. So I bought some kale and it has been going into everything from smoothies to soups. Kale is surprisingly energizing in our morning smoothies, or at least it felt like it on the day we tried it. I was less hungry during the day and did not even think about needing another cup of coffee like I do most days. Who knew?! With this pumpkin soup, I decided to make a raw kale salad. Normally I would never think of eating kale raw, but when I was in Philadelphia a few weeks ago I had a raw kale salad at Fork that was incredible! The secret to a raw kale salad not being tough, bitter and less than palatable is a nice massage. Massaging the oil or dressing into the leaves and allowing them to sit for a little while takes away some of the bitterness and softens the leaves. This is a hands on salad that is a nice change from romaine or spinach. Enjoy!

Fall Kale Salad

Kale leaves (dinosaur or lacinato is my favorite variety), washed and torn or chopped into fork size pieces
Dried cranberries (soak in orange juice for 30 minutes or overnight for even more flavor punch)
Carrots, thinly sliced or diced
Almond slices, dry toasted
Dijon Vinaigrette

Massage vinaigrette into kale leaves for several minutes or until leaves begin to soften. Allow to sit for 20 minutes or even a few hours. Add other toppings as desired.