Kale Slaw with Yogurt Dressing
Gorgeous colour, delicious and rich in antioxidants, nutrients, fibre and protein, this kale slaw is another great addition to our winter salad collection.
Do you eat kale? Were you among the first to embrace this dark leafy green member of the cabbage family? Or do you prefer to avoid it?
Don’t Love It? Just Choose Other Dark Greens.
Here’s the thing, if you don’t love kale, don’t know what to do with it, have no interest in it and would prefer just to avoid it all together – no problem. Don’t buy it if it’s just going to go bad in your fridge and cause you to bypass greens you would eat. There are plenty of other dark green veggies like spinach, swiss chard, broccoli, collard greens, beet tops, arugula, romaine, mesclun lettuce mix, bok choy, stinging nettle, etc for you to eat. Just continue to enjoy a large variety of colorful fruits and veggies which include dark greens – choose the ones you love and will eat regularly.
That said, if you do want to explore kale and are looking for a great starter recipe, I highly recommend this salad or coleslaw. It’s fresh and crunchy with a lovely citrus yogurt dressing.
As an added bonus, it’s also easy to make and will last for several days in the fridge. So make a big batch and enjoy all week long. Note: If you want it to stay crisp, keep the dressing on the side and mix in as needed.
Kale Slaw with Yogurt Dressing
Ingredients
- 3-4 stalks green kale 1 cup chopped
- 1/4 small head red cabbage 1 1/2 cups chopped
- 1/4 small head white cabbage 1 1/2 cups chopped
- 1 – 2 carrots 1 cup grated
- 2 Tbsp toasted pepitas pumpkin seeds
- 2 Tbsp dried cranberries optional
- Dressing
- 1/4 cup plain yogurt
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp orange juice concentrate
- 1/2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- pinch salt
- pinch pepper
Instructions
- Wash and pat dry kale.
- Remove the big stem by firmly gripping the bottom of the stem and running your pinched fingers along the stem pushing off the leaves.
- Remove any tough, large veins that may be in the leaves. Compost stems.
- Chop remaining leaves into fine thin strips.
- Wash or remove outer layer of red and white cabbage.
- Slice into thin strips and cut strips into bite sized pieces.
- Wash, peel and grate carrots.
- Toss all veggies in a large salad bowl.
- Dressing
- Add all ingredients in a jar and seal tightly.
- Shake vigorously.
- Taste and adjust accordingly.
- To serve, mix dressing with slaw mix and top with toasted pepitas and cranberries.
Notes
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
How I Learned to Enjoy Kale
For a long time, I did not like kale. When I first tried it, it seemed tough and bitter – not a great first impression. But like many people, I wanted to like it in order to reap all its benefits . So I kept trying.
I made kale chips. They were good and we ate them, but they’re not our preferred way to conquer snack attacks. Popcorn continues to be our go to snack for the munchies.
Kale smoothies with blueberries, bananas, mangoes or any other berries are super tasty. They have become a welcome addition to our diet.
Adding chopped or thinly sliced kale to soups, stews and pasta dishes is another way we incorporate this green into our diet. It’s tough enough that it can be added earlier than more tender greens like spinach or stinging nettle.
Last summer I grew kale in the garden – actually I grew it in my shady front yard. It sprouted, but never grew more than 2 inches tall. While embarrassing as a gardener, that tiny kale ended up being a tender, delicious addition to our garden salads. In the picture below, it’s the ruffled leaves with purple stems. It’s mixed with various greens and edible flowers from the yard including nasturtium blossoms (the orange), johnny jump up blossoms, dianthus blossoms, chickweed, leaf lettuce, cilantro, chives, and dill. Oh, so good!
These salads showed me that raw kale works well in salads. Now, when I buy the tougher, big green curly or purple kale from the store, I chop it into thin strips and mix it with other greens or veggies.
Today, kale makes fairly regular appearances on our dinner plates. Still, I continue to search for more ways to enjoy this nutrient rich green.
Maybe you can help – what’s your favorite way of enjoying kale? What would you recommend I try next?
Getty Stewart is an engaging speaker and writer providing tasty recipes, time-saving tips, and helpful kitchen ideas to make home cooking easy and enjoyable. She is a Professional Home Economist, author of Manitoba’s best-selling Prairie Fruit Cookbook, Founder of Fruit Share, mom and veggie gardener.