More kale Mom! Yes, the boys can’t get enough kale when I make this Kale with Cranberries recipe. This quick and easy salad has just 4 simple ingredients –kale, dried cranberries, pine nuts, and olive oil. Although it’s the perfect Thanksgiving dish, it’s become a staple in our house all year round.
That makes me very happy because this healthy salad is full of highly nutritious super foods. First, there is the kale, a cruciferous, cancer fighting vegetable packed with flavonoids. Then we have the cranberries, high in vitamin C, and pine nuts, the edible seed of the pine tree which are higher in protein than any other seed. The final ingredient in this easy salad recipe is olive oil, which is full of good fats that help to control blood sugar levels.
Kale with Cranberries
Ingredients
- 2 bunches kale
- ¼ cup pine nuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
Instructions
- Steam the kale until it is bright green
- Meanwhile, in a 9 inch cast iron skillet, toast the pine nuts
- Allow kale and pine nuts 5 minutes to cool, then toss together in a large bowl
- Add dried cranberries and olive oil
- Toss and serve
My boys fight over this easy kale recipe. The four of us can finish off the 2 bunches of kale that the recipe calls for in one sitting. Even when their dad is not home for dinner, the three of us can easily devour it!
Kale with Cranberries is one of my favorite salad recipes, here are some other easy kale recipes for you:
Steph says
There is a great source for totally unsweetened dried cranberries. The company is called http://www.shorelinefruit.com (shorelinefruit.com) and they have an online store, but do not have them for sale there, as they are producing only small quantities. The price is 23$/lb or 56$ for 4 lbs. Call them directly and ask for Toby or LuAnn.
beth halper says
My 5 year old east it up lightly sauteed and topped with Bragg’s!
Go kale!
Cristina says
Made a similar salad recently. I used unsweetened dried cherries and I juiced a clementine in lieu of a lemon in my olive oil dressing. A touch a seas salt is good too.
Lillea Woodlyns says
I love kale! This recipe looks great. The only problem with kale is the very strong odor during and after cooking. I don’t mind (I love most of the members of the cabbage family) but almost anyone who has visited me after I’ve cooked kale scrunches up their nose!
A cooking oil that I really like, one that is also very healthy, is macadamia nut oil. It goes well with kale and other cruciferous vegetables. It’s expensive but you don’t need to use much, the taste is mild and buttery yet just nutty enough to be interesting, and it can be heated to very high temperatures without burning.
Ashley says
I am new to cooking. How do you steam kale?
Leah says
This was really really good. I too was a bit skeptical of this– but we’ve been getting so much kale in our csa box– I had to give it a shot. So all you other people that might be a bit weary of the bitter greens– go for it!
Freedom says
Hi Elana! I followed the link for the cranberries, but the cranberries aren’t listed anymore :( Can you tell us what brand you use? I love dried cranberries, but all of them seem to have some sort of oil added and a sugar. Newman’s own is the best I’ve found as far as unrefined sugar, but it still has oil. Any help would be appreciated!
Laura Kelly says
Followed the link from today’s post. Had no idea you are releasing a cookbook. That is such fantastic news! Perfect gift idea for newly diagnosed celiacs. Yes!
elana says
Natalie,
You are most welcome :-)
From what friends and family (and my own experience at different altitudes) have told me, these recipes (sans yeast and all that other complicated stuff) work well at various altitudes.
I’m so glad you are enjoying them!
Thanks,
Elana
Natalie says
Thanks for the recipe and I look forward to using this site – I love that you’re in CO, too, it’s tough to adjust recipes from others living at or near sea level. Thanks again!