A cold, creamy, sweet, and crisp salad sure to please any crowd. This light yet filling salad, combined with my favorite sweet and tangy dressing is the perfect addition to any summer gathering. Easy to prepare with only five ingredients needed for the salad and five for the dressing, you can have it all with this summer salad!
A Little About The Recipe
Massaging Kale - It may sound odd, but massaging kale leaves can be very helpful when using them raw without cooking or steaming. Massaging kale breaks down its tough cell structure and helps to make it less bitter and easier to eat. After rinsing the leaves clean, I will add some salt to a bowl (I've seen oil or lemon juice used too) and break the kale into smaller pieces by hand. After squeezing and kneading the leaves for several minutes, they will begin to feel softer and turn a darker green. Rinse once more and allow any excess water to drain off.
Dressing In or On the Side - If I am serving this salad at a meal, I will add all of the dressing to the salad and serve it right away. If I am making this salad for a party or picnic, I will mix in about 1/8 of the dressing until everything is lightly coated then serve the rest on the side. This helps keep the salad from getting soggy and the dressing from falling to the bottom of the bowl as guests serve themselves.
5 Ingredient Summer Salad With
5 Ingredient Dressing
Prep time: 30 mins. Cook time: 15 mins. Serves: 12-16
Salad Ingredients:
2 c. pearl couscous uncooked (I used this brand)
6 c. fresh kale (or one large bunch)
1 green apple
1 large English cucumber (regular cucumber is fine, but English have fewer seeds)
1/4 c. white onion finely chopped
Dressing Ingredients:
1 c. vegan mayonnaise (I used this one)
3 Tb. fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
2 Tb. avocado oil (any oil you prefer will work)
2 Tb. maple syrup
1 tsp. black pepper
salt to taste
Equipment for the salad:
Small pot with lid
Large mixing bowl
Cutting board
Knife
Equipment for the dressing:
Small mixing bowl
Whisk or fork
Instructions:
1. Prepare couscous and allow to cool completely
Prepare couscous per package instructions, or:
Bring 3 c. water to a boil
Add couscous and 1 tsp. salt to water
Return to a boil, cover, and let simmer until couscous is tender about 15 minutes
Drain any excess water
Set aside cooked couscous and allow to cool completely before combining with the other salad ingredients
2. Prepare the apple, kale, cucumber, and onion
Peel, core, and cut the green apple into 1/2" pieces
Peel and cut the cucumber into quarter moon shapes by slicing the cucumber in half lengthwise, slicing the two halves of the cucumber again lengthwise, then chopping each strip into 1/2" pieces
Finely chop the onion
Strip the kale leaves from the stems and massage kale by hand, breaking it into bite-size pieces (*see the note above about massaging kale).
3. Prepare Dressing
In a small mixing bowl, combine vegan mayonnaise, lemon juice, avocado oil, maple syrup, black pepper, and salt to taste
Whisk ingredients together until well combined
If the dressing is too thin, add more mayonnaise and continue to whisk until it is to the desired consistency
4. Combine salad ingredients and serve
In a large mixing bowl, combine all salad ingredients and mix until well combined
Toss salad in dressing or serve the dressing on the side
Enjoy! xoxo
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