This Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad is the perfect salad recipe for those in between months of the Summer season and the Fall season! Full of both fresh Summer and Fall fruits and vegetables, you are guaranteed to make a smooth transition into the Fall season! The combination of fresh strawberries, blueberries and Granny Smith apples mixed with fresh chopped kale, broccoli florets, cilantro and mint taste amazing and is so refreshing! Top it off with the citrus basil vinaigrette dressing and this will become your new favorite go-to salad!
Fall and Summer....Summer and Fall. We are in the middle of the "in-between" months as I like to call it here in Arizona. We'll have a crazy hot summer heat going on one day and then the next day we will get the cool and brisk beautiful Fall weather. It's confusing me! And let's be honest, I still have a ton of fresh summer fruits and vegetables in my refrigerator, but I'm also stocking up on my Fall fruits and vegetables because...well... I just can't help it!
You've got strawberries and blueberries on crazy sales at the stores because everything has just been harvested and they want to get rid of them, yet you have these wonderful apples and fresh basil and crisp kale on the produce shelves representing the wonderful Fall season that is upon us. So what did I do....I decided to just mix all these fresh veggies and fruits together and make a fabulous Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad paired with a simple and refreshing Citrus Basil Vinaigrette.
And oh my goodness...THIS!!!
So fantastic! I literally just threw the ingredients together. Amazing!
Let's go over the natural and fresh ingredients in this salad...ok we have kale, strawberries, blueberries, Granny Smith apples, broccoli florets, green onions, avocado, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, mint and slivered almonds. This mixture of ingredients provides such a fresh taste! The citrus basil vinaigrette dressing is light and full of flavor with the fresh basil, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest and honey.
Fiber....lot's of fiber in this salad. Ok, a TON of fiber coming naturally from these fresh fruits and vegetables! Kale and broccoli both have a lot of fiber. And do you know how incredibly healthy kale is for you? If you don't know the health benefits associated of Kale, check out this article for 26 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Kale.
Oh, and berries and pumpkin seeds have a lot of fiber, as well. This is one powerhouse of a salad, ya'll!
And you know me by now, I want that extra kick of protein so I bought a roasted turkey breast at the store and chopped it up in small pieces so I can sprinkle it on my salad. When I buy turkey breast (or you can use chicken breast), I like it both hot and cold on my salad. It really just depends on what mood I'm in!
This salad is also really versatile. I wanted to ensure I added enough good fat in this salad so I added avocado and pumpkin seeds. Avocado is a really great substitute for cheese, so I opted to put little chunks of avocado in this salad. Pumpkin seeds are full of protein, fiber and good fat and plus, it gives me that Fall season flavor since we are approaching Fall!
This salad is perfect for lunch or as a side salad for dinner. If you want to add turkey or chicken breast onto the salad, you have yourself a balanced and nutritious lunch. This one also pairs really well with soup or chili. Personally, I like to eat this salad with my Very Veggie Chicken Noodle Soup, Tomato and White Bean Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers and my Autumn Vegetable and Black Bean Soup.
This Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette is so perfect for the weather right now guys! You are going to LOVE this one and I can't wait to hear how you like it! Happy Summer/Fall Eats on this one!
Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette
Ingredients
Salad
- 4 cups chopped fresh kale
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro and fresh parsley
- 4 springs of fresh mint
- 1.5 cups fresh strawberries, quartered
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup raw broccoli, chopped into small pieces
- 1 Granny Smith apple, thinly sliced
- 1 green onion, chopped (both the white and green part)
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- 1 Tablespoon avocado
- 2 Tablespoons pumpkin seeds, raw
- Finely chopped chicken breast or turkey breast (optional)
Dressing
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
- ¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
- ¼ teaspoon orange zest
- 2 Tablespoons honey
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- ¼ cup fresh basil
- ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
For Salad
- Wash the kale and chop and put in a large salad bowl.
- Chop the cilantro and fresh parsley so that it makes up ¼ cup combined. Place in with the kale in the salad bowl.
- Add the rest of the salad ingredients into the bowl.
For Dressing
- In a food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing and puree until mixed well and smooth.
- Pour desired amount of salad dressing on top of the salad and gently toss.
- Store leftover salad and salad dressing the refrigerator
Nutrition
- Recipe inspired by: Joyful Healthy Eats
Christie
I know what you mean about September. I am always ready for Fall veggies but not quite ready to let go of summer ones. This is the perfect salad to have the best of both worlds.
Amanda Mason
Yes! It helps me cope! LOL! Enjoy!
James Strange
Its a beautiful salad, and I am sure its also delicious.
Amanda Mason
It's SO delish! I hope you enjoy it!!