Kale Winter Salad

Want to know what my favorite type of recipe is? It’s one where I don’t have to cook anything! Yup, like any good Dietitian, I love my salads. So much so that I’ve been spending a ton of time at my local sweetgreen (an NYC salad spot featured in my fav “fast food” joint post). This trendy salad place utilizes seasonal ingredients and features produce that is fresh and local. I’m pretty obsessed with one of their seasonal salads right now, which highlights of the best combinations–apples and cheddar. That’s why I decided to recreate it at home (and save myself the $11).

Why is Kale a Superfood?

‘Superfood’ is a term we hear a lot these days, but what exactly does that mean? Simply put, a superfood is one that is nutrient dense, offering significant health benefits.

Kale is considered a superfood because it is rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In particular, kale is loaded with Vitamin A, K and C. In 1 cup of kale, you’ll get more than 100% of the DV for these vitamins.

On top of that, kale is high in antioxidants that play an important role in fighting inflammation, which for athletes and runners is important if they are dealing with injury. Last (but not least), kale is a powerhouse when it comes to its iron content. Athletes may experience iron-deficiency anemia or fatigue if their iron levels get too low, so eating kale is a great way to keep your iron levels up.

Ingredients to make a Kale Winter Salad

This salad requires such simple ingredients- I’m sure you’ll have most of them in your pantry already! I love the combination of the crispness from the apples together with the creaminess from the hard-boiled egg and cheddar cheese.

To make this, you’ll need:

• 4 cups of kale
• 1 honeycrisp apple
• 2 hard-boiled eggs
• 2 ounces white cheddar cheese
• 1/3 cup unsalted walnut pieces
• Salt & pepper

The sweet and salty combination of the fruit and cheese is topped with the savory crunch of chopped walnuts. I also threw a hard-boiled egg on top for some added protein. It’s topped with a balsamic vinaigrette, but feel free to drizzle your favorite dressing on top. This Kale Winter Salad will fill you up without weighing you down, and it’s packed with antioxidants and fiber.

How to make a Kale Winter Salad

This is the quickest and easiest salad to throw together and can easily be meal prepped ahead of time to come together in minutes.

Here’s how to make it:

1. Combine the kale, apple, egg, cheese and walnut pieces in a bowl.
2. Top with your favorite dressing.

How can I meal prep this salad?

If you’ve followed me for a while, you’ll know that I am a big fan of meal prepping! Meal prep saves so much time and allows me to eat healthy and balanced meals even when I am having a busy week with very little time available to cook.

For this salad, you can pretty much cut up everything ahead of time. However, I would recommend chopping your apple only when you’re ready to serve, otherwise it might start to brown and lose its crispness. Hard-boiled eggs can also be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week – make sure to allow them to cool fully before placing them in the fridge.

How can I make this salad vegan?

With just a few easy substitutions, this Winter Kale Salad can be transformed into the most delicious vegan salad. Try these substitutions below:

• Hard-boiled egg: Extra-firm tofu is a great substitute that offers a good amount of protein, flavor and texture.
• White cheddar cheese: There are so many authentic vegan cheddar cheese options available in the grocery store today, but if you can’t get your hands on a vegan version, you can leave it out altogether. You can also create a creamy texture by adding hummus or tahini.