Fall and Summer….Summer and Fall. We are in the middle of the “in-between” months as I like to call it here in Arizona. We’ll have a crazy hot summer heat going on one day and then the next day we will get the cool and brisk beautiful Fall weather. It’s confusing me! And let’s be honest, I still have a ton of fresh summer fruits and vegetables in my refrigerator, but I’m also stocking up on my Fall fruits and vegetables because…well… I just can’t help it! You’ve got strawberries and blueberries on crazy sales at the stores because everything has just been harvested and they want to get rid of them, yet you have these wonderful apples and fresh basil and crisp kale on the produce shelves representing the wonderful Fall season that is upon us. So what did I do….I decided to just mix all these fresh veggies and fruits together and make a fabulous Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad paired with a simple and refreshing Citrus Basil Vinaigrette. And oh my goodness…THIS!!!
So fantastic! I literally just threw the ingredients together. Amazing! Let’s go over the natural and fresh ingredients in this salad…ok we have kale, strawberries, blueberries, Granny Smith apples, broccoli florets, green onions, avocado, pumpkin seeds, cilantro, mint and slivered almonds. This mixture of ingredients provides such a fresh taste! The citrus basil vinaigrette dressing is light and full of flavor with fresh basil, lemon juice and zest, orange juice and zest and honey. Fiber….lot’s of fiber in this salad. Ok, a TON of fiber coming naturally from these fresh fruits and vegetables! Kale and broccoli both have a lot of fiber. And do you know how incredibly healthy kale is for you? If you don’t know the health benefits associated of Kale, check out this article for 26 Science-Backed Health Benefits of Kale. Oh, and berries and pumpkin seeds have a lot of fiber, as well. This is one powerhouse of a salad, ya’ll!
And you know me by now, I want that extra kick of protein so I bought a roasted turkey breast at the store and chopped it up in small pieces so I can sprinkle it on my salad. When I buy turkey breast (or you can use chicken breast), I like it both hot and cold on my salad. It really just depends on what mood I’m in! This salad is also really versatile. I wanted to ensure I added enough good fat in this salad so I added avocado and pumpkin seeds. Avocado is a really great substitute for cheese, so I opted to put little chunks of avocado in this salad. Pumpkin seeds are full of protein, fiber and good fat and plus, it gives me that Fall season flavor since we are approaching Fall!
This salad is perfect for lunch or as a side salad for dinner. If you want to add turkey or chicken breast onto the salad, you have yourself a balanced and nutritious lunch. This one also pairs really well with soup or chili. Personally, I like to eat this salad with my Healthy Chicken Vegetable Soup, Tomato and White Bean Soup with Grilled Cheese Dippers and my Autumn Vegetable and Black Bean Soup.
This Apple and Berry Chopped Kale Salad with Citrus Basil Vinaigrette is so perfect for the weather right now guys! You are going to LOVE this one and I can’t wait to hear how you like it! Happy Summer/Fall Eats on this one!
Recipe inspired by: Joyful Healthy Eats
