Kale Honeycrisp Salad
This salad is the quintessential Autumn salad. It’s packed with flavor and perfectly delicious!
INGREDIENTS
This salad is the epitome of Autumn. The toppings are warm and crunchy and the salad is fresh and crisp. A perfect pairing to complete one killer fall salad!
Smoky honey pepita clusters
1/2 cup pepitas
1/2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
pinch of salt
Sweet and spicy toasted pecans
1/2 cup pecans
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Cinnamon shallot vinaigrette
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 shallot, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
Salad
4 to 6 cups chopped tuscan kale
2 honeycrisp apples thinly sliced
3 ounces freshly grated sharp white cheddar cheese
DIRECTIONS
Smoky honey pepita clusters
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Microwave the coconut oil and honey together until melted, about 30 seconds. Stir the pepitas in a large bowl with the honey mixture, salt and smoked paprika. Place them on the baking sheet and smooth them out with a spatula – you still want them clustered so you can break them apart after baking!
Bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the oven and toss slightly. Let cool completely before breaking apart.
Sweet and spicy toasted pecans
Heat the pecans in a nonstick skillet over low heat, stirring often, until fragrant and toasty. Stir in the honey, red pepper flakes and nutmeg. Let the honey bubble and stir for a few minutes, then transfer the pecans to parchment paper and let them cool completely.
Cinnamon shallot vinaigrette
Whisk together the vinegar, honey, mustard, shallot, garlic, cinnamon, salt and pepper. Whisk in the olive oil until emulsified. This keeps great in the fridge for a few days!
Salad
Massage the kale with a tablespoon or so of the dressing and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. I like to season the kale at this point with salt and pepper too. Slice the apples and combine the apples, cheese, pecans and pepita clusters with the kale and toss well. Serve with the vinaigrette!