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Weight LossSalad Challenge: Cucumber Dill Kale Salad
January 6, 2012 By
Leanne Vogel
July 7, 2015
This weeks’ salad challenge posts: Introduction, Sweet + Creamy Broccoli Salad, Green Goddessphere at Sea, and Spinach Salad with Tomato Vinaigrette
I never was big into kale. I remember making a salad with it many years ago – replacing romaine for a bunch of kale in a Caesar salad and nearly died. It was so dry and tasteless.
Fast forward a couple of years and I’ve slowly learned that kale doesn’t have to be a complete write off, it’s just sensitive to preparation and ingredients.
Prepare it right, and you have a delicious pilaf, or plate of chips before you.
Prepare it wrong, and it becomes a great snack for your furry friends.
The meal that made me turn a new leaf (har-har) toward my thoughts on kale, was when my friend Emily ordered a portabella flatbread, during one of our monthly get-togethers.
The flatbread looked and smelled amazing, and was loaded with kale.
After dinner I asked her to guess what ingredients were used so I could make it for myself when I got home.
Of all the pizzas I’ve ever made, this Portabella Flatbread with Walnut “Cheese” gets me every time. And look at all that kale on there :D
- 1 cup cooked black beans
- ½ cup tangy dill dressing
- 2 bunches of kale – yield 4 cups
- ½ English cucumber, sliced with a vegetable peeler
- 1 whole carrot, diced
- 4 green onions, diced
- Rip kale into bite-sized pieces and steam for 45-60 seconds, just to soften. Drain if needed, and place in a large bowl.
- Add remaining prepped salad ingredients and stir to coat.
- Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for 1-2 days. The kale gets a bit wilted at the two day mark, but makes a great filling for sandwiches, wraps, or a topping to scrambled eggs!
Also, did you know that kale has some pretty powerful cholesterol lowering benefits?
And, that in order to unlock the full potential of this leafy green, it’s better to enjoy it lightly steamed?
The fiber in kale has an easier time doing it’s job of binding to the enzymes and acids in your digestive tract when it’s been steamed than when it’s in it’s raw form. Kale will still have cholesterol lowering ability when it’s raw, just not as much. Plus, steaming the kale is easier on our digestion meaning we can eat more of it, without worrying about tummy pains!
Sounds good to me!
This entry was tagged: cucumber, dill, kale, salad, salad challenge
Hi! I'm Leanne (RHN FBCS)
a Functional Medicine Practitioner, host of the Healthful Pursuit Podcast, and best-selling author of The Keto Diet & Keto for Women. I want to live in a world where every woman has access to knowledge to better her health.
