I don’t love kale. I eat it because it’s healthy and I do think it’s important to eat a variety of foods especially leafy greens. They key is really in the preparation and this kale salad passes the test. When I buy kale, I buy organic pre-chopped kale from Whole Foods. It requires little, if any, processing so it makes salad prep quick and easy. I like chopped apples, toasted walnuts, shredded cheddar cheese and bacon but you could do any variety of fruits, nuts and cheese as well as omit the bacon. I’ve been making a super quick maple, dijon vinaigrette to put on it and I’ll do my best to give measurements to make this dressing. When it comes to the salad, the proportion of kale to the other ingredients is really up to you but this is the approximate proportions that I use.

About 6 cups of kale shredded or in small bite size pieces

1 medium apple diced

1/2 to 3/4 cup of toasted walnuts

1/2 to 3/4 cup of cheddar cheese shredded (I personally love this caramelized onion cheddar from Trader Joe’s. It is so good in this salad)

1/2 cup of crispy bacon chopped

Maple Dijon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup of white balsamic vinegar

2/3 cup of olive oil

1-2 tsp of maple syrup

2 tsp of Dijon mustard

1/2 tsp of onion powder

a pinch of garlic powder

just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine in a jar and shake to blend.