The sweet of salad and parsnip combine beautifully with the bite of kale to make a delicious, easy salad you’ll enjoy over and over!
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, zucchinis 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 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 about 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-inuflammatory 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 tshirts that say “I Prefer Kale.”!
Ingredients
- 2 bunches curly kale chopped
- 4-5 florets broccoli chopped
- 1/4 red onion diced
- 1 carrot julienned
- 1 zucchini chopped
- 1/2 Honeycrisp or Granny Smith apple diced
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/4 cup toasted walnuts
- 1/2 avocado chopped
- 1 parsnip sliced paper thin
- 1/2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- salt
- pepper
For the dressing
- 1 Tablespoon almond butter
- 1/2 Tablespoon gochujang
- 1/4 cup coconut water
- 1 Tablespoon white vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- salt
- pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 450°F. Slice parsnip into paper thin slices (you can use a mandolin or a potato peeler). Drizzle with ½ tbsp extra virgin olive oil and place slices on baking sheet in one layer. Place in the preheated oven for ~7 minutes until they are toasted brown. Set aside to cool.
- Place all salad ingredients into a large bowl. Season with salt.
- Create dressing by placing all dressing ingredients into a deep bowl and using an immersion blender to blend until creamy.
- Add dressing, little by little, to salad (you don’t want to overdress). When greens are just barely coated with salad, use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale and other greens. Place in the refrigerator for at least 45 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- Right before serving, add a little more dressing (to taste). Garnish with roasted parsnip chips.
