This is a great salad to make in advance either for yourself for the next few days or for a dinner party. As the kale and brussels sprouts remain raw, leaving the dressing on them to marinate allows them to break down and get a touch sweeter. However, it most definitely can be eaten straight away, I usually just massage for a few minutes longer to help break the plants down. It is the perfect balance of sharp and sweet with the good-for-you greens, refreshing mint and vinegar complimented by the sweet apple dressing, sultanas and creamy avocado… delicious! Feel free to swap sultanas for cranberries, or leave them out entirely if you wish to cut back on sugar. Another delicious swap would be fresh pomegranate. Serve as a side salad to a main, or bulk it up with some legumes and grains.
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 bunch curly kale (purple or green)
- 1 cup brussels sprouts
- 1/2 bunch mint leaves
- 1.5 avocadoess sliced
- 1/2 cup flaked almonds
- 1/4 cup sultanas
Sweet Apple Vinaigrette
- 1/3 cup apple cinder vinegar
- 3 tbsp unsweetened apple sauce
- 1.5 tbsp maple syrup
- 2 tsp dijon mustard
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- De-stem kale and 1/4 of a bunch at a time, chop roughly in a food processor until bite-sized pieces.
- Wash each batch of chopped kale well and spin in a salad spinner. Set aside washed and chopped kale in a large bowl.
- Place brussels sprouts in the processor in the same way you did the kale, until shredded. Wash and dry.
- Heat a medium pan on the stove on high heat (no oil). Once hot, reduce to medium heat and scatter the flaked almonds in to toast. Leave them for approx 3 minutes, before tossing and letting sit for a further 3. Remove from heat and set aside.
- Combine kale and brussels sprouts in the large bowl.
- Pour dressing over top (see below for dressing instructions). Massage the greens well so dressing is spread evenly- use your hands!
- Cover the bowl and place in the fridge for 1-2+ hours. (Note: you can eat right away too, but this is a great salad to make in advance as allowing it to marinate breaks the tough kale and sprouts down).
- Once ready, stir through the mint leaves, toasted almonds, sultanas and sliced avocado. Serve!
- Combine all ingredients in a jar and shake well, until smooth.
