You all know that I don’t like salad, so you might be wondering why I have a recipe for Kale and Parsnip Apple Salad. Well, in summer time, zucchini taste just so darn good, you start looking for any old excuse to make something with them. Plus, my husband loves salad and is always begging me to add more salads to our meals, so I decided to put something together that I knew even an anti-salad person would like.

I used to hate kale. I associated “kale” with know-it-all goodie-two-shoes who were obsessed with nutrition at the expense of joy. The only people who ate kale salads were those who also drank celery juice for breakfast and eschewed pasta like a vampire avoids the morning sun. In other words, I automatically assumed that I was a kale-hater, because I will never drink celery juice for breakfast and you’d have to kill me to get me to stop eating pasta (or rice, potatoes, and bread, for that matter).

Unfortunately (or fortunately?), my husband really really loves kale (he is one step away from drinking green juices, but thankfully, he’s Italian, so he, too, understands the impossibility of giving up pasta), so I started incorporating kale, bit by bit, into various recipes. And soon enough, I realized that I really actually liked kale, in fact preferred kale (I actually made a t-shirt that says, “I prefer kale.”). Kale is sturdy and doesn’t fall apart or turn into a big green mush at the first sign of heat or a rich dressing. It stands up to the elements in the most delightful way, ensuring that every bite has the requisite “crunch,” instead of wilting into an irritating nothingness.

So, kale is the base of almost all my salads (that or broccoli). Much to my mother’s chagrin, I’ve also started subbing kale in for many traditional Korean recipes that call for spinach. Kale is not a traditional Korean ingredient, but its bright flavor pairs so well with the umami of miso, soy sauce, and garlic, it seemed a natural fit.

Anyway, enough of me waxing poetic on kale. This Kale and Zucchini Salad is a very simple salad designed to address your salad fix, while also making you feel good about eating some of the healthiest foods on the planet. It’s packed with antioxidants, fiber, anti-inflammatory agents, and other nutrients that will set you up for the week, while also tasting really really good. So, enjoy this Kale and Zucchini Salad and before you know it, you too will want to start wearing t-shirts that say “I Prefer Kale!”

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