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Homemade Crunchy Kale Salad with Sunflower Seeds picture

Crunchy Kale Salad with Sunflower Seeds

A crunchy kale salad with garbanzo beans, avocado, seeds and a lemon-parsley dressing.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 7 minutes
Total Time 22 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Salad
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Ingredients
  • 1 largebunch kalerinsed well and chopped 6 cups*
  • 1 largelemonjuiced
  • 1 15-oz cangarbanzo beansdrained and rinsed
  • 1 largeripe avocadodiced
  • 2/3 cupparmesan cheesegrated to taste
  • 1/2 cupdried cranberries
  • 1/2 cupred onionfinely chopped
  • 1/3 cupsunflower seeds
  • 1/3 cuppumpkin seeds
  • 5 Tbspavocado oil
  • 3 Tbspfresh lemon juice
  • 1 tspdijon mustard
  • 1/4 cupfresh parsleyloosely packed
  • 1 small clove garlicoptional
  • Pinchsea saltto taste

Equipment

  • Small bowl or jar
  • whisk or jar for shaking
  • Salad spinner
  • Large mixing bowl
  • salad tongs or two large spoons

Method
 

Instructions
  1. Make the dressing: in a small bowl or jar combine 5 Tbsp avocado oil, 3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice, 1 tsp Dijon mustard, ¼ cup fresh parsley (loosely packed), 1 small clove garlic (optional) and a pinch of sea salt. Whisk or shake until smooth. Set aside or refrigerate in an airtight container until ready to use.
  2. If the chopped kale (6 cups) is very wet, drain and pat dry or use a salad spinner to remove excess water.
  3. Place the chopped kale in a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the juice of the 1 large lemon over the kale and massage the leaves with your hands for about 1–2 minutes, until they soften and darken.
  4. Add to the bowl: the drained and rinsed 15-oz can garbanzo beans, 1 large ripe avocado (diced), ½ cup finely chopped red onion, ½ cup dried cranberries, 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese, ⅓ cup sunflower seeds, and ⅓ cup pumpkin seeds.
  5. Pour in the dressing (use the whole batch or add to taste) and toss thoroughly with salad tongs or two large spoons until everything is evenly coated.
  6. Taste and adjust seasoning with an extra pinch of sea salt if needed. Serve immediately.

Notes

Notes
*If your head of kale is extra large and measures out to more than 6 cups when chopped, be sure to make more dressing to accommodate the larger volume of leaves. Also consider adding more of the other salad ingredients as well.
Store leftover kale salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 12 hours. If you intend on making the salad last longer, only add the avocado and the dressing just before eating the salad. This prevents the avocado from turning brown too quickly and ensures the salad ingredients don’t get soggy.