Kale & Apple Salad

Do you ever run out of ideas when hosting a dinner party? Feel like you’re making the same things over and over hoping the guest list changes enough so people don’t notice? Have you ever crossed your fingers that a recipe you’re trying out on your guests turns out okay?

Keeping enough recipes on hand that are the unique ones for guests can be a challenge. It is sometimes hard enough to get food on the table during the week, let alone have time to search and try out special recipes for dinner parties.

That’s why I like to have basic recipes on hand that I know are good for a weekday meal or that I can liven up with special, in-season ingredients when having friends/family over.

One of those recipes is a Kale Salad. Yeah, I know everyone is over the kale thing, but rather than making the same lettuce or spinach salad again, having a good kale recipe can be a nice surprise to your menu.

The challenge with making a kale salad is that it can often taste bitter when raw. By dressing the salad farther ahead than you would a typical salad, you let the acids from the lemon and vinegar break down the kale mellowing out the flavor.

This salad has all the right ingredients to make that salad course extra special. Apples are great for early fall when they are in season. Pears can also work. I like putting in a few dates to add a bit of sweetness, but dried cranberries for a Thanksgiving salad is a great swap. And, don’t forget to add a crunch with your favorite nuts. I like slivered almonds, but just about any roasted nut would work.

And, the best part about this salad, is you don’t have to wait to have guests over. It’s great for a weekday lunch, too!