Festive Kale Salad with Sweet Apple Cinnamon Vinaigrette & Pecan Parmesan

vegan, gluten-free, grain-free, soy-free

Adapted from a recipe in the Oh She Glows Cookbook

A festive and colorful salad with juicy apples and cranberries and a crispy savory pecan parmesan topping. Kale holds up better than most other greens, so if preparing multiple dishes for a meal, you can prepare this ahead of time and let the kale soften while you cook everything else. Sturdy kale also makes this a potluck-friendly salad. Do keep the pecan parmesan separate until ready to serve though!

Serves: 6 / Prep time: 15 min / Total time: 45 min (including kale softening time)

Ingredients:​​
For the Pecan Parmesan

• ½ cup pecans ​
• 1½ tsps nutritional yeast*
• 1½ to 3 tsps extra-virgin olive oil
• ¼ tsp salt

For the Dressing

• 1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1-2 Tbsps pure maple syrup, to taste
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp fine-grain sea salt
• 1 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 Tbsps unsweetened applesauce

To Assemble

• 1 bunch kale, rinsed, shaken dry, destemmed and leaves torn into bite-size pieces
• 1 apple cored and finely chopped
• ¼ cup dried cranberries

Directions:

1. Make the Pecan Parmesan: Preheat the oven to 300°F. Spread the pecans in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 6 to 8 minutes, until lightly golden and fragrant. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. In a mini food processor, combine the toasted pecans, nutritional yeast, oil, and salt and process until crumbly and combined. Alternatively, hand chop the pecans and then stir together with the other ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.**
3. Make the Dressing: In a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, maple syrup, cinnamon, salt, oil, and applesauce until combined.
4. To assemble the salad, place the torn kale leaves in a large salad bowl and pour on the dressing. With your hands, massage the dressing into the kale leaves until fully coated. Let stand for at least 30 minutes. The kale will soften slightly during this time.
5. Top the kale with the chopped apple and cranberries. Sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan over the salad just before serving.

*Nutritional yeast, commonly called "nooch" by vegans, is deactivated yeast with an amazing nutrition profile and a nutty, cheesy flavor. Look for nutritional yeast in the bulk bins, baking aisle, or supplements section at your grocery store. I use it to top pasta, pizza, salads, breads, rice, and popcorn, and it's used in many vegan cheese substitutes. For other recipes calling for nooch, see Crispy Kale Chips, Roasted Chickpeas, Tofu Scramble, Chickpea Noodle Soup, Soft Gruyere, Cauliflower Gratin, and Creamy Spinach-Artichoke Dip. In other words, if you don't already have some, you're going to want to buy some!
**The pecan parmesan is delicious and also tastes great on other types of salads, soups, and pastas, but I only make a small batch at at time because it doesn't keep very long. Store leftovers in the fridge separate from the salad.

Goes great with other holiday dishes like Tempeh-Mushroom Wellington and Homemade Cranberry Sauce.