My dad and I have been buying apples in bulk lately, and though I love to snack on Granny Smith apple slices, the prevalence of them in my kitchen started to get me thinking about putting them in a salad. Since they’re tart and crunchy, I thought they’d pair nicely with some massaged kale, and dried blueberries to add a bit of sweetness. Then, I sautéed some chicken and chopped up some almonds to add protein so that this could be filling enough for a lunch salad, and drizzled some parmesan and honey on top for added flavor complexity. Voila!
Ingredients:
(Serves 2)
- 10 oz kale, chopped
- 1.5 tbs olive oil
- 3 tbs fresh lemon juice
- 1 large chicken breast
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1 tsp cumin
- Sprinkle of salt and pepper
- 1 Granny Smith apple, cubed
- 1/4 cup raw almonds, roughly chopped
- 1 tbs dried blueberries
- Sprinkling of Parmesan
- Drizzle of honey
Directions:
- Massage kale in olive oil and lemon juice. Let sit up to overnight to marinade.
- Dry rub the raw chicken breast in the paprika and cumin. Pan sear, then slice.
- Add cooked chicken to the kale, along with the cubed apple, chopped almonds, dried blueberry, and parmesan. Drizzle with honey and enjoy!
Notes:
You do not have to spice your chicken as I did. Cumin and paprika are simply my go-to rub when I don’t have time to marinade chicken but don’t want to eat a plain chicken breast.
Also, you’ll notice this salad does not have a “dressing” added at the end beyond the drizzle of honey. That’s because your kale is already dressed through the marinade. You can always add extra olive oil if it tastes too dry to you.
What if I want an easy lunch but not this one?
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