Chopped Mango Kale Salad

It’s hard to eat healthy at potlucks because dressed salads don’t hold up. This kale salad with mango s your salad solution.

Potluck sides usually include baked beans, mac and cheese and other heavy dishes.

Very few people bring salads because they just don’t transport that well. You can make a beautiful bowl of greens and fresh vegetables, but once you toss the dressing in, it only lasts a short while before it wilts.

How have salad lovers adapted? They’ll bring a bottle of dressing and wait for just the right moment to toss. Too soon, and no one is going to rave over your soggy salad. Too late, and the line is moving and you’ve become an obstacle on the way to the meat.

Another option has been to let people dress their own salads, but then you get the picky ones in the crowd who shout, “Where’s the ranch?”

The solution for years has been to bring a bowl of coleslaw, but it’s just not sexy. Coleslaw has its purpose, but being a stunning side is not one of them.

This kale salad recipe with slices of mangos and sunflower seeds is your side salad solution.

Why make a salad with kale

Like cabbage, kale is a tough green. It’s not wimpy like spinach or romaine. Kale leaves can hold up to dressing for days, and in fact, like cabbage, it gets better as it marinates.

The vibrant green of kale can be contrasted with beautiful fruits and vegetables. For this salad, I used fresh mango and red onions.

But the best kale salad recipe is the one you make yourself. So use this recipe as a base and really make it your own. You could use berries, dried cranberries, apples or raisins.

I like to add nuts and seeds for an extra crunchy texture. This kale salad recipe calls for pine nuts or sunflower seeds, but make it your own. Try almonds, walnuts or even candy-coated pecans.

Finally, I toss the raw kale salad in a red wine honey vinaigrette made with extra virgin olive oil. Adjust the flavor if needed by adding a couple pinches of salt to taste.

This dressing cuts the bitterness of the kale. Again, making this much healthier than mayonnaise based coleslaw.

If you want to add a bit of protein and touch of creaminess, add in some feta cheese or goat cheese crumbles.

Let it set in the fridge for a couple of hours or even a couple of days, and you’ll have the show-stopping healthy side that people have been yearning for.

How to cut kale leaves into bite-sized pieces

I usually use curly kale for this recipe, but you can also use tuscan kale or lacinato kale.

Run a knife alongside the stem of each leaf. Discard the stem and chop the leaves into small pieces.

Rinse them under cold water and either pat them dry with a paper towel or run them through a salad spinner to remove excess water.

If you want the leaves to remain crunchy, use them straight from the spinner. If you prefer a softer texture, gently massage kale leaves with your hands.