Sometimes, a side salad can get a bit boring if you simply use regular green leaf lettuce or one of the pre-washed salad packs and you want to come up with something to jazz it up a bit. And often, that comes with mixing together two different types of greens!
In this salad, I combine robust, massaged kale with tender baby spinach. I add in some toasted pepitas, a bit of cheddar cheese and a sprinkling of jewel-like pomegranate seeds.
The great thing about this salad is that it can be completely assembled and dressed ahead of time – in fact, it’s better that way! This makes it an excellent contender for those hosting people for dinner – it never hurts to get ahead on cooking tasks.
How to Make a Spinach & Kale Salad
The first step to this salad (and, really, any salad that uses raw kale – like my corn & kale salad), starts with massaging your kale.
All you need to do is add some finely chopped kale to a large salad bowl. Drizzle the leaves with some olive oil and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt. Use your hands vigorously massage the oil into the kale and then set it aside.
Now is also a good time to toast your pepitas – don’t skip this step as it really amplifies the flavour of the pumpkin seeds and it’s super easy to do.
Scatter the seeds onto a rimmed baking tray and move to a 180°C/350°F oven. Toast them until they’re lightly darkened and fragrant – about 5-7 minutes.
In the meantime, add some roughly chopped baby spinach to the bowl with the kale. I also like to add a thinly sliced red onion and some fresh pomegranate seeds.
Not only are pomegranate seeds absolutely beautiful – they look like little jewels shining in the salad! – they add a wonderful fruity tanginess to the salad along with a nice texture. You can also opt to use dried cranberries if you can’t get pomegranate seeds.
I also like to add some cheddar cheese to the salad. I think it adds such a nice dimension but if you want the salad to be vegan, you can absolutely leave it out.
Toss in your toasted pepitas and then go ahead and dress the salad. I think this goes great with my pomegranate vinaigrette, but you can also use something like my maple lemon vinaigrette or really any kind of punchy dressing you prefer.
Ensure the dressing evenly coats the salad and then let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving.
This will ensure that it gets very tender and that the flavours all get to know each other. If you want to make it any further in advance, go ahead and put the salad in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 days!
Kale Spinach Salad with Cheddar & Pepitas
Ingredients
- 60 g (3 cups) kale torn from stems and finely chopped
- 25 g (⅓ cup) pepitas
- 60 g (2 cups) baby spinach roughly chopped
- 50 g (⅓ cup) cheddar cheese grated or cut into cubes
- 50 g (⅓ cup) pomegranate seeds
- ¼ red onion thinly sliced
- 3 tbsp vinaigrette such as maple lemon or pomegranate molasses
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F. Add the kale to a large salad bowl and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil. Season with a generous pinch of salt and use your hands to vigorously massage the leaves. Set aside.
- Add the pepitas to a rimmed baking tray. Move them to the oven for 5-7 minutes, or until browned and fragrant. Set aside.
- Add the spinach, cheddar cheese, pomegranate seeds, red onion and toasted pepitas the bowl with the kale. Drizzle over the dressing and season with a few grinds of black pepper. Toss until well combined and allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving (see notes).
Notes
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Nutritional information is automatically generated and provided as guidance only. Accuracy is not guaranteed.
This simple kale & spinach salad is easy to make, great for meal prep and super delicious to eat. It’s the perfect side salad and something a little bit different with a great mix of greens!
Are you looking for a great side salad with kale and spinach? Have questions about this recipe? Let me know in the comments!
