Baby Kale and Berry Salad with Lemon Poppy Vinaigrette

Prep: 20 min • Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

Salad

• About 1 pound baby kale, washed and dried
• 1 pint strawberries, sliced, or cut in half if small
• 1 pint blueberries
• 1 ½ cups sugar snap peas
• 3 miniature Persian cucumbers  or ½ English cucumber , sliced into rounds
• 3 scallions, sliced
• ½ cup pecans, toasted and broken or very coarsely chopped

• ½ cup macadamia nut oil
• juice of 1 ½ lemons, about 3 tablespoons
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon white wine, champagne, or rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon salt

1. Combine all salad ingredients in a large bowl and toss.

1. Combine all salad dressing ingredients in a small bowl and whisk to blend, or put all ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid and shake vigorously.
2. To serve dressed, pour about ¾ of the dressing on the salad and toss well before adding any more dressing. Serve immediately. Be aware that the kale shrinks to a fraction of its size when dressed, and you may not use all the dressing.

Notes I much prefer baby kale over regular “adult” kale because it is remarkably tender in comparison. However, if you are not using baby kale, remove the center vein and stem and slice the kale leaves into ¼ - ½-inch strips. Massaging it before adding the other fruits and vegetables will also help break down some of the fiber and tenderize the kale. Optionally, sprinkle extra pecans on the top before serving.

Enjoy!