Kicked Up Kale Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing
I love this Kicked Up Kale Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing because the kale will hold up with the dressing on it for hours on end. This makes it a great salad for parties, bringing with you on the go and for making ahead. The kale actually softens up and absorbs the flavors of your dressing too.
Speaking of the dressing. This home made Fig Balsamic Dressing blows the store bought stuff out of the water! It is sweet and tangy with real fresh flavors that you can identify from the herbs, figs and balsamic vinegar. All of the preservatives, strange oils and extra nonsense that is added to so many dressings these days aren’t there to mask the true flavors of your ingredients. You can also adjust the amounts of ingredients if you’d like to make it the consistency thicker or thinner.
Since the kale will soften a bit as time goes on, I like to add other textures to the mix. While making this version, I wasn’t eating nuts, seeds or dairy. I was on a strict autoimmune protocol (aip) diet at the time. So I added toasted coconut chips and apple for crunch and flavor. This salad would be also great with goat cheese and pecans, if they are in your diet. If you are vegan or vegetarian, just leave out the chicken. It will still be delicious! The options are limitless really!
Kicked Up Kale Salad with Fig Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 bunch kale (Stems removed and chopped into bite sized pieces)
- 1 cup strawberries (Stems removed and quartered)
- 1 cup apple (Chopped)
- 1 cup chicken (Cooked & Shredded *omit for vegan)
- ½ cup coconut chips (Toasted)
- 2 tsp olive oil
Fig Balsamic Dressing
- ⅓ cup dried black mission figs (Stems Removed)
- ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar ( )
- 1 Tbsp Coconut Aminos
- ½ cup coconut water
- 2 cloves garlic (Peeled)
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- to taste Salt and Pepper
Instructions
For the Kale Salad
- In a large bowl drizzle the olive oil over your kale and massage it in. Go ahead… throw your hands in the bowl and get messy or have your kids do it!
- Add your fig dressing and stir to coat all of the kale evenly. Top with the remaining salad ingredients & serve! You can leave it in the fridge for a few hours before serving if needed… that is what is awesome about using kale. It doesn’t wilt or get mushy quickly after putting dressing on it. If anything, it softens and improves the texture.
For the Balsamic Dressing
- Add figs and vinegar to a high speed blender and blend until it forms a smooth paste.
- Add remaining ingredients and blend until well combined.
- Taste and adjust as you like. Add more coconut water if you like a thinner dressing. Depending on how dry your figs are, the amount of liquid required can vary a bit too.
Nutrition
