Celebrate the season with a festive Kale Salad with Red Grapes, Almonds, and Scallions. It’s quick and easy to pull together.
This is the season when it’s easy to overindulge. I mean, cookies, cakes, and pie? Oh my! I had no trouble going back for a second plate of turkey dinner. Or a second piece of Pretzel Berry.
But, now that we have a little respite before a second round of festivities, I’m good with homemade fare and fresh vegetables. My body is practically crying out for fresh veggies. How about you?
The problem with fresh produce cravings in winter is that our favorites are no longer in season. My girls are requested Santa shaped strawberries, and I’m like, “No, strawberries aren’t in season in winter.”
However, this Kale Salad is. And while not the same as strawberries, kale does pack a nutritious punch, and when paired with late fall grapes, this Kale Salad is super delicious and festive.
Aren’t those red grapes beautiful against the bed of green kale and broccoli? Yes, I snuck in some broccoli.
I actually make this salad with what Trader Joe’s calls their Cruciferous Crunch. It’s a blend of kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli and green & red cabbage. It comes in a 10-ounce bag for $1.99 which is super easy for getting such a big mix of goodies. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s near you, chances are the produce department of your grocery store has something similar. You can always mix the greens together yourself if you prefer.
Once grapes are out of season for good, this salad will be delicious with dried cranberries! I chose grapes on purpose, though, so that folks doing a Whole 30 could get a little sweetness without the sugar. My sister-in-law says double the grapes. Go with your gut.
How to make this good and cheap:
Here are some of the strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:
- Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. For instance, when I see a great price on grapes, almonds, or scallions, I snatch them up and plan my meals around them.
- Compare prices. Currently, this salad blend is $1.99 at Trader Joe’s. However, if I found a similar blend cheaper elsewhere, I’d buy it at the competitors.
How I make this recipe easy:
Having the right kitchen tools can really make your time in the kitchen more enjoyable. Over time, I’ve honed my collection so that they are perfect for my needs. Here are the tools that I use for this recipe:
- plastic cutting boards – I have blue boards for veggies and white boards for meat.
- Ergo Chef chef’s knife – I’ve had my set for several years and they work well.
- whisk with sealed barrel – great for mixing dressings
- 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 teaspoons maple syrup or more to taste (omit for Whole 30)
- 1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon poppy seeds
- salt and pepper
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 10 ounce package kale Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage mix
- 1 to 2 cups red grapes halved
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped roasted almonds
- 2 scallions chopped
- In a large salad bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, paprika, and poppy seeds. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream.
Add the kale to the bowl and toss to coat. Sprinkle over the grapes, almonds, and scallions.
Salad can be made several hours in advance and chilled in the refrigerator.
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Dried sour cherries would be good too, like the superfood side salad at Chick-fil-A.
Yes, definitely!
Thank you ; my stomach also yearns for vegetables; great that you share this creation with us ! Have a pleasant weekend !
I’ve made this twice for my boys’ Schole group and we (the moms) love it. I use butter lettuce instead and double the dressing and the grapes.
Sounds great with butter lettuce. So glad you’re enjoying it!