Toasted Kale Salad with Chicken and Lemon Dijon Dressing
So, you think you don’t like kale? Well, you can think again. This Toasted Kale Salad with Chicken and Lemon Dijon Dressing is loaded with cozy flavor, lovely texture and nutrients. Each bite is light and crunchy with a deep satisfying flavor.
To be quite honest, I’m typically more of a spinach or romaine kind of salad eater. But this toasted kale salad has me craving kale. The addition of chicken, rice/quinoa mix and strawberries take this salad next level. You can, of course, leave the rice/quinoa mix and strawberries out, but I don’t think you want to do that.
After scoring a huge container of bright red organic strawberries at Costco, there was no way I could not include them in my salad. The rice/quinoa mix from Seeds of Change is my go-to. This is not a sponsored post by Seeds of Change, I just really love the brand and want to share a great product with my fellow foodies. I also used this mix for my Key West Shrimp Bowls with Mango Salsa and Super Simple Stir-Fry.
If you love quick, fresh salads with a balance of tart and sweet, this is the one for you. The Lemon Dijon Dressing is optional and you could use your own favorite dressing or vinaigrette for topping, but it really does a great job of giving this salad a light, dazzling flavor. Plus, it’s super easy to make and a great, figure-friendly dressing to have on hand for other salad meals.
The addition of chicken is also optional- instead of following the instructions, below, you could use leftover chicken or rotisserie. If you’re a Costco shopper, like myself, you must try the Mediterranean-Style grilled chicken skewers and they would make a fabulous chicken addition. I used them in my Copycat Panera Fuji Apple Chicken Salad.
My personal serving size for creating my salad would be using about 1/2 cup rice/quinoa mix, a few diced strawberries, about 3/4 cup diced chicken or 3 ounces and 2 tablespoons dressing. Use more or less, depending on your own preferences. I didn’t even include the rice or strawberries in the recipe guidelines because they were afterthoughts. If you happen to have something in the fridge that sounds good, by all means add it in!
I hope you guys love this salad as much as I do! It’s:
Quick + easy
Made with basic ingredients
Loaded with delicious lemon-dijon flavor
Light + fresh
Satisfying + healthy
A fantastic choice for weeknight meals and hosting!
Toasted Kale Salad with Chicken and Lemon Dijon Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 lb. raw chicken tenders or breasts cut into strips, boneless, skinless
- ground chili powder
- 1 bunch kale, torn into large pieces (about 4-6 ounces without stems)
- 2 tablespoons Lemon Dijon Dressing, see recipe below
For the Lemon Dijon Dressing:
- 1 large egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, gluten-free
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or Himalayan salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Heat large nonstick skillet with 1 teaspoon olive oil over medium-high heat.
- Sprinkle chicken with chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Add chicken to skillet; cook for about 5 minutes on each side and until chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove chicken from pan.
- Add kale to the skillet; cook, over high heat, for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once, or until kale is crispy and lightly charred.
- Evenly divide kale between two serving dishes; top with chicken and any other favorite ingredients. I suggest about 1/2 cup rice/quinoa mix and a few diced strawberries per serving.
- Drizzle evenly with Lemon Dijon Dressing and enjoy!
- To make the dressing, place all ingredients in a jar with a lid and shake vigorously until all ingredients are combined. Alternatively, ingredients can be combined in a blender.
Notes
Salad and dressing recipes adapted from Autumn Calabrese's FIXATE cookbook.
Did you make this recipe?
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Try my other favorite salad recipes!
Copycat Panera Bread Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
Cruciferous Crunch Salad with Avocado Dressing
Something to think about….
Kale- love it or hate it? Have you ever tried toasting it?