Super Food Dessert Salad …..

Well, this is it. The last day for summer break for us here in northern Georgia. I don’t know about anyone else, but I remember going back to school in September when I was growing up in Washington state. I wish I could say that the recipe I am sharing with you today is a great back to school recipe, but I’ll be honest with you, my kids won’t touch it. But what I can say is that it is a recipe that I replicated from something I ate on a vacation we took this summer. We had an amazing time, and I fell head over heels for this salad, so I think it works. 😉 And on a side note, just because my kids won’t eat it doesn’t mean yours won’t. Mine are just super picky sometimes.

This salad is perfect for summer “get togethers” because there isn’t any mayo in it! It is vinegar based, but it is sweet. I’ve been calling it a dessert salad just because of the sweetness, and the calories. They are all healthy, super food calories, but calories none the less. I like it the way I have created it, but if you want to take the old cals down a few notches you can cut the pecans and dried cranberries in half. The only thing I don’t like about this salad is the color of the shaved brussel sprouts. They aren’t a beautiful green like when they are whole, but I looked back at a picture of the original salad for reference and that is exactly how theirs looked, so no worries, the brussel sprouts will be a little on the tan side when they are grated. (As you can see above, it is still a beautiful presentation.)

Here is a quick run down on the stats for you

134 calories per serving

8 g fat (remember the pecans)

277 mg of potassium

13 net carbs

6 g of fiber

10 g sugar (Remember the dried cranberries)

3 g of protein

And over ½ of your daily serving for Vitamin A and almost 100% of your daily Vitamin C.

I can say that the longer this salad sits, the more amazing the flavors are. I think that day four was the best tasting day by far. (And I think it tastes best room temp) Also, it doesn’t get soggy because there isn’t that much oil in it. There is just enough oil to soften the kale, and bind the other ingredients to the leaves. And once again Sugar 2.0 has saved the day by reducing the sugar and bumping up the fiber in this salad.  And as I mentioned, if you want you can cut the pecans and cranberries in half, but whatever you do, don’t pass this amazing salad by! If you have a food processor the process will be much quicker than hand chopping like I did, but no matter how you chop it, grate it, or add your fruits and nuts, just sit back, relax, and enjoy!

What is your favorite type of summer salad?

Balsamic Kale & Brussel Sprout Salad with Pecans & Dried Cranberries

By Angie Gouchenour

4 servings (approximately ¼ cup)

Ingredients

1 cup finely chopped kale

1 cup shredded brussel sprouts (TIP: Shred each one separately in case one is bad in the middle)

2 Tablespoons Sugar 2.0

1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons olive oil

¼ cup dried cherries

¼ c roughly chopped pecans (I just bought bulk pecan pieces and didn’t chop them)

Directions

In a medium bowl combine the finely chopped kale (I chopped by hand, but you could probably use a food processor), shredded brussel sprouts (Remove the outer leaves and toss the stem when done grating), Sugar 2.0, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil

Cover and place in the refrigerator for at least an hour

Stir in the dried cherries and pecans and serve

NOTE: See notes above on flavor, length of refrigeration time, and cherry and pecan options.