Superfood Kale Salad

Kale has been grown in Canada since early settlers brought it over, valued for surviving frosts when few greens could. Once a humble garden staple, it’s now a modern superfood. This salad shows its versatility: fresh with blueberries in summer, hearty with butternut squash in fall, always brightened with chicken, almonds, and a lime-chili dressing.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the Salad

• 4 cups kale leaves, washed, stems removed, torn into bite-size pieces

• 2 cups roasted baby potatoes or roasted butternut squash cubes or 1 cup cooked couscous with 1 cup chickpeas

• 2 cooked chicken breasts (grilled or roasted), sliced or shredded

• ½ cup blueberries or dried cranberries

• ¼ cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped

• 1 small carrot, grated (optional, for colour)

• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the Dressing

• Juice of 1 lime

• 3 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tsp honey

• ½ fresh chili, finely chopped (or a pinch of chili flakes)

• Salt & pepper, to taste

Method

• Roast potatoes or butternut squash at 200°C (400°F) until golden and tender, about 25 minutes. Alternatively, prepare couscous and chickpeas if using.

• In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, honey, chili, salt, and pepper to make the dressing.

• Add kale to the bowl and massage gently with half the dressing to soften the leaves.

• Toss in roasted vegetables (or couscous/chickpeas), chicken, blueberries or cranberries, carrot, and almonds.

• Pour over the remaining dressing, season to taste, and toss well.

• Serve immediately as a hearty salad or light main.

Variations

• Summer Fresh – Use blueberries and couscous with chickpeas for a bright, light version.

• Fall Comfort – Roast butternut squash and pair with cranberries for a cozy seasonal twist.

• Vegetarian – Leave out the chicken and add extra roasted veg or legumes for a protein-rich salad.