Kale Salad Drizzled With Lemon Yogurt Dressing Is Healthy & Delicious

If you’re still not convinced that a kale salad can be more than just bird food, you haven’t tried this kale and parmesan salad with lemon yogurt dressing. Kale can sometimes be a bit bitter and a bit tough, but if you know how to prepare it, its shortcomings are easily overcome. The key is giving the kale leaves some time to marinate in a dressing. The acidity of the dressing helps to soften the leaves, making it much easier to enjoy.

In this recipe, we mix together fresh lemon juice with a dollop of yogurt and a light drizzle of olive oil. Lemon juice and olive oil have long been a great salad dressing combination, but the dollop of yogurt makes a huge difference. Simple plain yogurt adds creaminess so that our kales leaves are coated in luscious tartness. Consider this a much healthier version to bottled ranch dressing. In fact, here’s a simple cooking tip: Whenever you’re looking to add just a bit more body to dressing, just add a spoonful of plain yogurt.

For this recipe, I finish this salad with a few shavings of nutty parmesan cheese and some toasted pine nuts, making it a healthy and tasty savory side dish. You can easily add some chopped grilled chicken breast or toasted beans to make this a full protein-filled meal. If you prefer something on the sweeter side, chop up some apples and substitute blue or goat cheese for the parmesan and consider it a modern take on the waldorf salad. What other ingredients would you add to this salad? We want to know in the comments below!

Helpful tools: 1) Salad spinner; 2) Whisk; 3) Peeler

Pair it with: 1) Balsamic Caprese Chicken; 2) Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu; 3) Mexican Meatballs with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce