This feature was sponsored by our friends at Align. All opinions are my own.

This is one of the best kale salads I’ve ever made and that says a lot because I’ve made hundreds of kale salads. This raw kale salad is not only quick to toss together but it’s simple, can be whipped up in 10 minutes and uses a few basic ingredients. You can serve this vegan kale salad with apples, cranberries or any other fruit you’d like if you can’t find fresh figs.

Gut Health & Probiotics

You know by now that I’m all about gut health.

I take my gut health and my overall health pretty seriously because I’ve been through C-diff colitis, SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), Candida, heavy metals, and mold, all of which tanked my gut and left me looking pregnant for over a decade. All of these lovely health issues were lurking in my gut without me realizing it. Isn’t that just delicious?

It’s taken me over a decade to heal all of these health issues while trying out numerous protocols and feeling like I was going in circles while testing them all out. But the one thing I’ve kept consistent throughout all of this was PROBIOTICS.

And not just any ol’ probiotic. A probiotic called Align Extra Strength that actually works and helps support your microbiome, our ecosystem of bacteria. We are made up of more bacteria than we are cells and we shape our microbiome (and they adapt to changes in our environment) by the foods we eat, our stress level and the amount of bacteria we put into our bodies.

The type of bacteria we DO want in our bodies is beneficial bacteria and that’s exactly what probiotics are!

I mean, let’s face it…we live in a time where there are more toxins around us than anything else and our bodies simply cannot process them all. Add processed, inflammatory foods to that and you may end up with Dysbiosis and many of the gut health issues mentioned above.

Here’s why I love Align.

It’s gluten-free and comes in easy-to-swallow capsules as well as flavored chewables that should be taken once-a-day, it’s easy to travel with because it doesn’t need to be refrigerated and it now comes in Extra-Strength, which contains 5x more good bacteria, so it’s ideal for anyone who’s looking for a little more oomph from their probiotic to support their digestive system’s natural balance.*

Getting our beneficial bacteria from probiotics is such an easy way to reap the benefits for our busy lifestyles and today’s recipe includes chickpea miso, which is a probiotic-rich fermented food that you can purchase in the refrigerated section of your local food store. Be sure not to buy soy miso! Speaking of miso, let me tell you how to make this dressing and toss it all together for a gut-friendly meal that will leave your belly quite happy!

That said, let’s make a salad together, shall we?

How-To Make Kale Salad

(AUDIO)

Click the PLAY button below to listen. This audio clip also includes my personal tips on gut health.

As I talk about in my book, Eating Clean, being ‘healthy’ is not about calories IN, calories OUT. It’s about the quality of your food and the quality of the bacteria in your gut (beneficial bacteria-aka probiotics vs. non-beneficial bacteria). The name of the game here is that you want more beneficial bacteria than non-beneficial bacteria so that your gut and your entire body can be healthy because almost 70% of your immune system is located inside your gut.

This is why eating clean, anti-inflammatory foods and a high quality probiotic like Align are so important. And, it’s exactly why I made you this delicious and super easy kale salad recipe today because it’s filled with probiotic-rich foods and lots of fiber to feed the beneficial bacteria in your gut.

How-To Make Kale Salad

As always, I’m breaking this recipe down into THREE easy steps for you.

NOTE: You can easily make a kale salad with apples or a kale salad with cranberries or any other fruit you’d like if you don’t have fresh figs nearby!

Here we go:

1. Massage the kale using your hands and a little bit (exact quantities below) of olive oil, lemon juice and sea salt making the kale super duper tender. This is how you ‘cook’ the kale without really cooking it with heat because this method takes the kale from its hard texture to a soft texture. Add remaining ingredients: fresh figs, red cabbage, Swiss chard, walnuts, fresh mint and lemon zest.
2. Whisk together the creamy dressing of tahini, water, salt, pepper, cumin and chili powder and drizzle over the salad.
3. EAT!

SHOP the RECIPE

Option to Add Organic Animal Protein

Because all of our bodies are very different, some of you have requested recipe alternatives that have organic animal protein options. So, for this recipe, here’s what you can do if you’re interested.

You can easily add chopped chicken or turkey to this recipe. Poach a chicken or turkey breast in vegetable broth or water with sea salt and cook covered over medium heat for 20-25 minutes or until the chicken/turkey is no longer pink inside. Then, use a sharp knife (click on the one I use in the above in SHOP the RECIPE) to cut the chicken/turkey. Add the chopped chicken or turkey to the salad and serve.

Craving more healthy recipes? Subscribe to our FREE newsletter to receive new recipes and health tips straight to your inbox.

When you’re food shopping, try to buy organic ingredients. Here’s why I eat organic: The Benefits of Eating Organic.

If you make this recipe, rate it below and post a picture of it on social media (tag @TheHealthyApple). I’d love to hear from you; you can follow me and chat with me directly on facebook // pinterest // instagram // twitter or book a private session with me.

10 Minute Kale Salad with The Best Tahini Dressing

Serves: 4

 

Print

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

0 minutes

Total

10 minutes

 

This is one of the best kale salad’s I’ve ever made and I’ve made hundreds of kale salads. This raw kale salad is not only quick to toss together but it’s simple, can be whipped up in 10 minutes and uses a few basic ingredients. Serve this vegan kale salad with apples, cranberries or any other fruit you’d like if you can’t find fresh figs. 

Author: Amie

Recipe type: Entree

Ingredients

Kale Salad

• 1 head dinosaur (flat) kale finely chopped and stems removed
• 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp. extra-virgin olive oil extra-virgin
• sea salt to taste
• 1 head Swiss chard finely chopped and stems removed
• 1 medium purple cabbage thinly sliced
• 4 large fresh figs halved
• 2 Tbsp. raw walnuts chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh mint finely chopped
• 2 tsp. fresh lemon zest

Tahini Dressing

• 4 Tbsp. tahini well-stirred
• 6 Tbsp. warm water
• 1 tsp. chickpea miso paste optional
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt plus more to taste
• 1/4 tsp. pepper to taste
• 1/4 tsp. ground cumin
• chili powder pinch

Instructions

Kale Salad

1. Massage the kale in a large mixing bowl using your hands with the lemon juice, olive oil, and sea salt, to taste. Massage for 2 minutes or until the kale is very tender and dark green. 

2. Add the Swiss chard, cabbage, figs, walnuts, mint and lemon zest. Set aside. 

Tahini Dressing

1. In a small mixing bowl, mix together all the dressing ingredients until it forms your desired dressing consistency. 

2. Add more water or lemon juice, if needed. Drizzle this dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

10 Minute Kale Salad with The Best Tahini Dressing

Amount Per Serving

Calories 309 Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Cholesterol 0mg0%

Sodium 522mg23%

Potassium 1223mg35%

Carbohydrates 39g13%

Fiber 9g38%

Sugar 19g21%

Protein 10g20%

Vitamin A 10420IU208%

Vitamin C 190.2mg231%

Calcium 247mg25%

Iron 5mg28%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.