Strawberry Hempseed Kale Salad

A simple massaged kale salad gets an anti-inflammatory boost from antioxidant-rich strawberries and essential fatty acids from hemp seeds. This is an easy make-ahead salad that can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days, eaten as a side dish or on its own topped with a lean protein.

Chef Notes:
-If using baby kale, you do not need to massage the leaves as they are already tender.
-Extra vinaigrette will store in the fridge for 5 days in an airtight container.

SERVES 2-4

Ingredients
For the salad:
1 bunch of curly green kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped into pieces
¼ tsp. coarse sea salt
½ small yellow onion, diced
8 fresh strawberries, hulled and sliced
¼ cup packed fresh basil leaves, leaves stacked, rolled and thinly sliced
4 Tbs. hulled hemp seeds

For the Lemon Vinaigrette:
½ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh lemon juice (about 1-2 lemons squeezed)
3 Tbs. honey
½ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Procedure
Make the salad:
1. In a medium bowl, sprinkle the kale with coarse sea salt. With clean hands, gently massage the kale between your fingertips for 30-60 seconds until the leaves begin to wilt and turn bright green. If excess water comes out of the kale, gently blot kale with a fresh paper towel as this liquid may taste bitter.
2. Add the onion, strawberries, basil, and hemp seeds to the bowl and toss to combine.

Make the dressing:
3. Add all Lemon Vinaigrette ingredients together in a small mason jar or bowl. Secure lid and gently shake, or if using a bowl, use a small wire whisk to combine ingredients.

4. Add desired amount of dressing to salad.

Foodtrients:
B-Vitamins
Iron
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin K
Manganese
Essential fatty acids