Kale Fennel Dried Fig Salad with Lemon Chive Dressing
A simple crunchy and hearty vegan salad of kale, shaved fennel and apples with dried figs. This Kale Fennel Apple Salad is done in under 15-minutes and is the perfect match for a bright lemon and chive salad dressing. (Vegan, Gluten-Free)
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 262kcal
Ingredients
Salad
- 8 cups kale shredded and massaged
- 7 dried figs halved
- ½ fennel bulb thinly shaved
- 1 red apple cored and thinly sliced
Lemon Chive Dressing
- ¼ cup lemon juice about 1 lemon
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons whole grain dijon mustard
- ¼ cup fresh chives (thinly cut) or 2 tablespoon dried chives
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Shred and de-stem the kale. Drizzle the kale with ½ teaspoon of olive oil in a large serving bowl and massage for 30-seconds or until it feels soft in your fingers.
- Cut fennel by trimming the fennel stems off. Next, cut the bulb in half. Remove the core by cutting a wedge or triangle-like shape off the bottom. Place each half on a cutting board flat side down. Slice the bulb lengthwise in thin strips, almost like you would an onion.
- Core the apple and slice thinly or into small cubes.
- Add the shaved fennel, apple slices and halved dried figs onto the massaged kale.
- Make the dressing by combining all ingredients into a mason jar. Shake for 15-seconds. Or whisk ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Pour the lemon chive dressing over the salad and mix together.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
Kale - I love kale salads (second favorite behind anything with arugula!) because of how hearty they are. If you’re not a fan, substitute kale for any other greens of choice. (Try to purchase organic kale when possible!)
Fennel - Fennel adds a light crunch to the salad. If the mild licorice flavor doesn’t work for you, try pickled red onions, celery, or leeks (cooked).
Dried figs - Dried figs add a soft, chewy sweetness to the salad. If you don’t like dried figs, you can try raisins or any other kind of dried fruit.
Apples - I prefer the sweetness of red apples in this kale apple fennel salad. Green apples would be too tart combined with the lemon chive dressing. Omit or substitute for pears or peaches.Chives - Chives add an herbaceous flavor to the dressing. Substitute for any fresh herb of choice, or dried herbs. Use 2 Tablespoons dried herbs per ¼ cup fresh herbs.
You can make this lemon chive salad dressing in advance (a few days before) or at the same time. If you do make this dressing in advance, store in an airtight container in the fridge. Depending on how cold your fridge is, the oil may harden, but that’s okay. Take your salad dressing out of the fridge a little before you need it so that it comes to room temperature.
To meal prep this salad, I highly suggest keeping the dressing separate. Salads always store better without the dressing. If you do pack this one with the dressing it won't go mushy or wet.
If you have leftovers of this salad with the dressing on it, no problem! Leave in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4-days.
Nutrition
Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 735mg | Potassium: 957mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 12g | Vitamin A: 13567IU | Vitamin C: 174mg | Calcium: 249mg | Iron: 3mg