During the past few months I’ve had the pleasure of working as a contractor for the Department of Health in NYC. One of the things that I’ve been doing is teaching cooking and nutrition demos at Headstart programs. Last week, the season came to an end, and one of my last hurrahs was making an awesome kale salad with apple dressing for the parents and kids.

This recipe from Just Say Yes to Fruits and Vegetables was a huge hit. My favorite was one woman who looked at it with a crinkled and puzzled face and said, “this is kale? I don’t like vegetables”. And, she tried it (people have a hidden desire to like vegetables… I can just see it) and she loved it! She came back for 3 more samples.

What I really like about this recipe is that the sweetness from the apple really compliments the kale. It’s also really quick to make. So, go grab your grater and get to it!

Kale and Apple Salad

Ingredients:

2 apples
12 cups kale (about 2 bunches)
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons oil
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the stem. Chop or rip (great for kids to help with) into bite-sized pieces. Gently massage the kale in a large bowl. This will help reduce the bitterness
2. Chop one apple and add to a bowl with the chopped greens.
3. Shred one apple in a separate bowl using a grater. Add the vinegar, lemon juice and oil.
4. Add dressing to the salad and enjoy!

There are lots of different ways you can make this salad. You can switch the kale for any other green like spinach or arugula, and you can switch the apple for another fruit, like pears (which also happen to be in season… hint hint). Pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds or almond slivers would also add a nice crunch.

Let me know what you think and how you made yours in the comments below!