Winter Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette and Spiced Pecans

With all the heavy dishes that accompany this cooler weather and seasonal holiday meals, I like to get behind a light salad every now and again. Winter kale salad with crisp apples, tangy goat cheese and spiced pecans tossed in apple cider vinaigrette is the perfect fall salad that can be on your table from start to finish in 10 minutes. Take that, lazy weeknight dinner.

What I love about making salads is that you can really customize it for the seasons based on the fresh seasonal ingredients that you can throw in there. For instance, throw in some apples or butternut squash, and you instantly have a fall or winter salad. Some of my other favourites to make in the cooler months are my fall harvest salad with roasted butternut squash, apple walnut salad with balsamic vinaigrette, and goat cheese and tangelo winter salad with creamy dressing.

Ingredients in this Kale Salad

The best part about this recipe is that is versatile and completely customizable. Really, what you need is 1 bunch of your favourite leafy green + 1 crisp fruit + your favourite cheese + crunchy nuts. Here are the ingredients that I used:

• kale - you can use whichever type of kale you like best. I usually go for Lacinto kale (also known as Tuscan kale), but this week, I could only get my hands on curly kale. You can also easily switch out the kale completely for your favourite leafy green. I would recommend swiss chard, collard greens, and mustard greens, which I fing work better in this recipe than spinach or arugula.
• honey crisp apples - any kind of apple works in this salad. You can also substitute the apple with pear.
• goat cheese - I grabbed tangy and sweet goat cheese to balance the flavour of the spicy pecans. For an alternative, try blue cheese.
• spiced pecans - you can also use just regular toasted pecans instead of spiced pecans.
• apple cider vinaigrette - made with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, salt and pepper. This vinaigrette is what all your salads need from fall until spring. Plus, you can double the amount of dressing and save half in the fridge to use throughout the week.

You can also add some protein to this winter kale salad. Try some shredded leftover roast chicken (or store-bought rotisserie chicken), baked maple salmon, or grilled shrimp.

How to Make the Best Winter Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

First, make the apple cider vinaigrette in a small mixing bowl by whisking together olive oil, apple cider, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper.

Place kale in a large mixing bowl and pour dressing over top. Toss to combine and let sit for 10 minutes. Then, add sliced apples, crumbled goat cheese, and spiced pecans on top. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste.

How to Make Easy Spiced Pecans

Have you tried spiced pecans before? They add a really delicious zing to salads, charcuterie boards, and are even perfect for snacking on solo. If you can't get your hands on spiced pecans at your local grocery store, you can easily make your own:

1. Lightly toast pecans in a non-stick skillet.
2. In a small bowl, combine ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, ½ teaspoon cinnamon, ½ teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
3. In a medium bowl, add pecans and 2 tablespoons of butter. Toss to coat. Add spice mixture and toss again until fully coated.

More Salad Recipes

• Fall Harvest Salad with Roasted Butternut Squash
• Mediterranean Orzo Pasta Salad
• Goat Cheese and Tangelo Winter Salad with Creamy Dressing
• Apple Walnut Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette
• Radicchio and Mandarin Orange Salad with Walnuts and Currants
• Mediterranean Chickpea Wedge Salad with Hummus Dressing
• The Best Greek Salad

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