Kale Power Salad from Pure Delicious
Kale Power Salad- a vibrant kale salad tossed in a Garlic Honey Sesame Dressing. Great for healthy lunches or served with protein such as quinoa or edamame for a wholesome meal! (gluten-free, grain-free and refined sugar-free)
Is there anything sexier than a big bowl of bright green kale? On second thought, don’t answer that question.
Okay, so I’m aware that the texture and taste might not appeal to everyone but I’m convinced they just haven’t had it prepared the right way. If you make a flavorful dressing and then take a few minutes to massage it into the leaves, it can break down the rough texture and infuse the kale so that there isn’t any bitterness. Then you’re left with a robust salad that will hold up in the refrigerator for several days.
See? Totally sexy.
This bodacious kale salad comes from Heather Christo’s brand new cookbook, Pure Delicious. Similar to the recipes she creates for her blog, her book features over 150 recipes that are made without gluten, dairy, eggs, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, shellfish, or cane sugar. Many of them are also paleo-friendly, vegetarian, or vegan!
If that’s not enough to impress the pants off of you, the recipes are delicious enough to share with anyone, not just those with food allergies. Heather creates meals with fresh and flavorful ingredients that will have you forgetting all about what you can and cannot have.
I was blown away by how creative the recipes are and how gorgeous her photography is, but the part that really touched me was learning the story of how the book came to be. It all started with a trip to the emergency room when Heather’s daughter, Pia, had an allergic reaction at the age of five. Going through such a terrifying experience opened her eyes to the reality of food allergies and made her aware that it’s much more than just a trend. Feeling empowered to make a change, she decided to have herself and her daughters tested only to discover that they were allergic to an alarmingly long list of everyday ingredients.
As a chef and recipe developer, Heather took this information and made the most of it by getting to work in the kitchen. Through lots of trial and error, Pure Delicious was born. The end result is a compilation of her family’s favorite recipes as well as what I would consider a guidebook for anyone transitioning to an allergy-free lifestyle. She put together a beautiful video for her book HERE if you want to check it out!
There are so many incredible recipes in this book but I could only choose one to share with you guys and this colorful kale salad was calling my name. It’s jam-packed with superfoods like bell peppers, green peas, green onion and sesame seeds then tossed in an amazing dressing bursting with flavors of garlic, ginger, honey and sesame oil.
It comes together fairly quickly and is great for healthy lunches during the week. It would also be perfect to bring to a picnic or summer party since it’s light and refreshing. Plus it dairy-free and doesn’t have to be kept ice-cold.
Here’s what I can’t wait to make next:
- Blackberry Scones with Vanilla Glaze
- Baked Banana Oatmeal
- Lemon-Blueberry Coffee Cake
- Spring Minestrone
- Spicy Tomato, Lentil and Rice Soup
- Roasted Tomato and Corn Risotto with Arugula Basil Pesto
- Chocolate Zucchini Bundt Cake
- Strawberry Coconut Shortcakes
And that’s only the beginning. There is so much deliciousness going in this book!
GIVEAWAY!
Now for the best part! Heather was generous enough to offer one of you a chance to win a free copy of her book! All you have to do is leave a comment below letting me know if you’ve ever dealt with food allergies. I’ll pick a winner one week from today and notify you via email. Good luck!
**THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED**
Kale Power Salad
Yield: 4
Prep Time: 25
Total Time: 25

Ingredients:
For the Salad
- 6 cups thinly cut curly kale (approx. 2 bundles)
- 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and thinly sliced
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 cup green peas, blanched*
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
For the Dressing
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1-inch fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey (or agave for a vegan option)
- pinch of kosher salt
Directions:
- To make the dressing: In a blender, combine the garlic, ginger, sesame oil, olive oil, vinegar, honey and salt. Blend until smooth.
- In a large bowl, add the kale and pour the dressing on top. Use your hands to massage it into the leaves for about 10 seconds. Add the bell peppers, green onions, peas and cilantro. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately.
*To blanch the pease, bring a small pot of a water to a simmer. Add the peas and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain, then add cold water and ice to the pot to cool. Drain and set aside to dry while you prepare the dressing.
Click Here for Nutrition Facts
Nutrition Facts are of 1/4th of recipe
Minimally adapted, with permission, from Pure Delicious by Heather Christo
Did you try this recipe? Please let me know how it turned out by leaving a comment below or sharing a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #makingthymeforhealth. I love hearing your feedback!
Such a pretty salad!! I love that it has peas – I feel like I don’t use them enough in my kitchen even though I love them!!
I’m simply OBSESSED with that book…and I secretly want to be Heather Christo…shhhh don’t tell anyone ;) She’s so flipping talented and I just love her recipes. Cheers to allergy-free superfood real food that has all the sex appeal! I had thought about sharing the kale salad from her book and am so happy you did – it looks like the perfect go-to. kale lovers unite!
Her book is incredible but yours is pretty damn amazing too! :)
Oh my goodness! We’re gluten-free vegans at our house. I’m making this salad for lunch today! I can’t wait and my husband is going to love it too!
Thanks Cathi! I hope you both enjoy it! :)
I have this book in my wish list on Amazon. ;) I don’t have any food allergies but I have food sensitivities that cause my gut to have issues with intense stabbing pains/gas/bloat, etc (not fun!). I have to try to avoid eggs, dairy, gluten, soy, and limit my intake of my beloved almonds!
I have similar pains on occasion but it usually passes after a few hours. I should pay closer attention to what causes it!
Ohh, looks like a great book. I don’t have food allergies necessarily, but bread and milk (not yogurt, cheese, etc) seem to not agree with me. I’ll still eat those foods, but I try to limit it if I’m feeling extra bloated and whatnot.
This book looks amazing and so does this kale salad! I had to give up kale recently for my thyroid issues and I miss is desperately!
Yeah, I’ve heard that! But you should be able to have it cooked, right?
Yum! I love a kale salad, but I especially love all the toppings on this one. Luckily for me, I have no food allergies, so I can eat whatever!
No real food allergies but definite sensitivities to dairy. This book looks so good!
This salad looks amazing! I can never get enough kale and I love all the other fun toppings- so much green :)
I was about to jump up and make a rubbed kale, apple and celery salad when this popped up on my screen. I do so love kale salads and how well they keep in the fridge for several days, just getting better and better. The dressing for this one nearly slays me with impatience to try it. All that ginger and garlic together!
That’s why I love them so much too! It’s almost like they get better with time. :)
My cookbook doesn’t have ginger in the ingredient or
does it mention it in the directions. It does, however, mention ginger in the top description talking about the flavors. Is ginger one
of your adaptions or is my cookbook incorrect? Thanks, Lola
I noticed that as well and contacted Heather as soon as I did. She said it was an error. I felt so bad for finding the first one!
She never clarified the amount to use so I just added what I thought would work best. Feel free to adjust that to your liking! :)
Well… so green and lovely the dressing looks, its great for me because it is gluleton free, egg free and suits a vegitarian, green person like me. The dressing was interesting as well, the salad was easy to make.
Everything looks so good! I need that cookbook. Pinning for menu planning.
We are fortunate not to have any true food allergies in our house, but I have cut out gluten and cut back on dairy due to tummy troubles. I flipped through Heather’s book at the store and it is beautiful! I am always looking for ideas to help us eat clean meals that taste great. Have a great holiday weekend Sarah!
OmGeeee, Sarah! I’ve made three recipes so far from Heather’s book and they’re all just fantastic! I’ve got so many pages tabbed too. I’ve not tried this salad, but it’s on the list. Her story leading up to the recipes is engaging and speaks to the love and thought she gives to nourishing and healing her family with food. What a through and well done review! And your pea round up is timely! I just picked up over a pound from the farm! Hooray! xo
Thanks Traci! And woo hoo for fresh peas! So delicious. :)
not out right allergies but I can’t tolerate much in terms of white flour and sugar – I do much better with whole grains and natural products.
This looks absolutely amazing! Kale salads are just the perfect thing to bring for lunches at school cause they’re hearty and filling but don’t leave my feeling heavy-plus they’re just delicious. I can’t wait to try this! The dressing looks great! My mom has celiac disease and it’s definitely been a long run to find good products. I love to bake too, so I’ve done a lot of trial and error with gluten free flours ( only the healthy whole grain/grain free ones) to be able to find what tastes good and is still good for you! Thanks for posting so many great recipes!
This recipe looks fantastic and I love that it can be made ahead of time and will hold up. My wife and i recently started making our own salad dressings due to allergies and are working on healthier lunch options so this is a great one to try.
Thank you so incredibly much for sharing my book and this recipe! You made that salad look so good!! XOXO
Thank you, Heather! It was an honor to review your gorgeous book! :)
Thankfully, I’ve never dealt with food allergies. My only sensitivity is oddly enough salmon, so I just dont eat it!
Oh wow, that book looks awesome!! I, myself, have not had to deal with any food allergy but growing up my mom and my brother were celiac before gluten free was trendy! While not necessarily a food allergy, they would still have bad reactions so I appreciate the development of food allergy friendly recipes :)
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