I love that we are starting to see a lot of baby kale available to us in grocery stores these days. Baby greens of any variety pack in more flavor than their larger counterparts, and make for a lovely base for a healthy salad like this one. They are also a great addition when tossed into a pot of soul warming soup, or sautéed as a simple side dish with a touch of olive oil and sliced garlic.
With baby kale greens on hand, I decided to make a seasonal salad with rounds of ruby red roasted beets, fresh fennel and an apple cider-based vinaigrette. With a lovely, sweet Jazz apple on hand, I decided to dress up this apple vinaigrette with small cubes of fresh apples as well. Flavorful and full of good-for-you nutrients, this colorful salad is a great light lunch, or accompaniment at dinner with that next pot of homemade soup.
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Baby Kale, Beet, & Fennel Salad with Apple Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
- 4 beets, stems removed, each wrapped in aluminum foil
- 4 cups baby kale
- 1 fennel bulb, sliced into half moons
- For the vinaigrette:
- 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinaigrette
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- 1 apple, small dice
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place the foil-wrapped beets on a small baking sheet. Bake for 1 hour, or until the beets are easily pierced with a knife. Allow the cooked beets to cool; when cool enough to handle (wearing gloves) rub them with paper towels to remove their skins. Slice into rounds.
- Place the baby kale in a large mixing bowl. Toss together with the sliced fennel.
- Whisk the ingredients together for the vinaigrette; then fold in the diced apples. Toss the dressing with the salad; serve topped with the roasted beet rounds.
Tagged: apple cider vinegar, apple vinaigrette, baby kale, beets, fennel, honey, kale salad, mustard, roasted beets, Salad, side salad, vegetarian
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