Those strawberries from last week disappeared pretty quickly, so I obviously had to go back to the market and stock up on some more. They came back once again as the star of the show for this week’s post: a subtle sweet summer salad. This summer kale salad is fresh, colourful, and wonderfully sweet. The delicious poppy seed salad dressing compliments the veggies and fruit in a lovely way, and don’t get me started on the maple pecans. They are absolutlely mouth watering and take any regular old salad to the next level.
This is the perfect salad to go with any of your other summer dishes. The pecans don’t have to be sweetened, they add a beautiful flavour if they are just toasted up on their own. But the candied maple pecans are pretty life changing. My picky husband gives this vegan salad two thumbs up! Let’s just say he usually thinks eating this many greens should be left up to the rabbits (cue eye roll). But I love his honesty because when he likes something I know he truly means it!
Here are a few reasons why I love this Summer Kale Salad with Poppy Seed Salad Dressing, so listen up!
- This Strawberry Poppy Seed Salad is a no-fuss dish. This salad is thrown together in less than 30 minutes without compromising any of the flavours. It is the perfect summer salad, using fresh produce right from the farmers market.
- As I mentioned above, this bowl of greens is Picky Husband Approved. I know Adam is getting his greens and vitamins when eating this salad. He may think we are acting like rabbits eating this much kale, but I assured him rabbits know a thing or two.
- The maple pecans are a delicious addition to this kale salad. They make a basic salad just a little fancier and they compliment the poppy seed salad dressing real nicely. The dressing is light, creamy and vegan. It is easy to blend up, and easy to enjoy!
On a salad roll? Give this roasted vegan potato salad a try or this kale chickpea salad.
Let this simple summer kale salad be a party pleaser for you and your guests this summer. No stress is needed when putting together this bowl of greenness. It is an easy and little mess kind of dish to whip up. It is colourful, flavourful and deliciously sweet!♥
summer kale salad with strawberries and maple pecans
Ingredients
Salad
- 3 cups kale (or greens of choice)
- 1/4 cup cucumber (chopped)
- 3/4 cup strawberries
- 1 avocado
- 1 sprig green onion (optional)
Maple Pecans
- 1/2 cup pecans
- 1 tsp maple syrup
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
- 1/8 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup olive or avocado oil
- 1 tbsp maple syrup
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp poppy seeds
- 1 sprig green onion
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Salad Base
- Chop and wash all vegetables. I massaged my kale by adding in a few drops of oil to the kale in a bowl. Then using my hands, I massaged the oil into the leaves, and let sit for a few minutes. Add the rest of the vegetables and the strawberries to the kale. Set aside.
Maple Pecans
- Heat a pan (I used a cask iron pan) over medium heat. Add 1/2 cup of raw pecans to the pan. Toast for about 6 minutes, flipping the pecans every once in awhile. If desired, once the pecans are looking toasty, add 1 teaspoon of maple syrup to the pecans and toss evenly. As soon as the pecans are coated with the maple syrup, have a piece of parchment paper waiting off to the side and let the pecans cool on this. Try to separate the pecans so they don’t stick and clump together. Once cooled (~10 minutes), add to the salad.
Poppy Seed Salad Dressing
- For the dressing, add all the ingredients, except the poppy seeds to a blender and blend until combined. once blended, stir in the poppy seeds.
Assemble
- Top the salad with the dressing. I didn’t end up using all of the dressing, but that was just a personal preference. So add some of the dressing, toss and taste.
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So simple… those are the best kind of recipes. They become the “go to”!! Yay for another top notch creation!
Thanks! Simple is the best way to go!