Apple White Cheddar Kale Salad with Cider-Dijon Dressing
This apple white cheddar kale salad is a refreshing and easy side dish for Fall! Massaged kale is tossed with sweet apples & pomegranates, chunks of cheddar cheese & toasted pecans then finished off with a simple apple cider-dijon dressing!
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 4 cups of green kale, leaves cut of the stem & cut into bite-sized pieces (packed)
- 1 large Honeycrisp apple, cored & chopped
- ⅓ cup pomegranate arils
- 4 oz. white cheddar cheese, cut into cubes
- 1 cup pecans*
For the maple dijon dressing:
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- Salt, to taste
- Cracked black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Toast the pecans. Spread the pecans out on a baking pan lined with parchment paper and toast in the oven at 375 degrees for 5-6 minutes. (They should be slightly golden with a nutty aroma.)
- Make the dressing. Whisk the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and dijon mustard together in a small bowl or jar. Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Massage the kale. Cut the kale leaves off each stem and place them in a large bowl. Drizzle a splash of olive oil over the leaves and use your hands to gently rub the kale together for at least 5 minutes. (The kale should soften - shrinking in size and turn a vibrant green color.)
- Toss! Add the diced apples, cheddar cheese and pomeganate arils to the bowl with your kale and pour your desired amount of dressing over the top. Toss the salad until it’s coated to your liking.
- Garnish and serve. Top each individual salad with toasted pecans and serve immediately.
Notes
*Candied pecans can be used instead. (If using candied pecans, skip the directions for toasting.)
Regular cheddar cheese can be used to replace the white cheddar.