Chopped Kale Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese, Apple, and Pumpkin Seeds

This Chopped Kale Salad with Creamy Goat Cheese, Apple, and Pumpkin Seeds is both beautiful and so quick and easy to make. If you don’t eat a lot of salad, a solution is to chop the salad greens into very small pieces- the greens become more tender and you get to savor the salad toppings (sweet apple, pear, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and creamy goat cheese) with every bite!

Serves: 2

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 0 minutes

What (your ingredients):

I head kale

1 apple (Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp are best here)

1 pear

2 oz. goat cheese

2 tablespoons raw pumpkin seeds

Blackberry Ginger Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons blackberry ginger vinegar (you can find at your local oil and vinegar store)

Pinch of salt

Pinch of pepper

How (your directions):

Wash kale and pull leaves away from the stems. Discard stems.

Using a chef knife, chop kale into very small pieces.

Add kale to a large bowl.

Make the vinaigrette by adding the olive oil, blackberry ginger vinegar, salt and pepper to a jar. Whisk or cover jar with lid and shake to combine.

Add the vinaigrette to the kale and massage the kale for 2 minutes.

Dice the apple and pear into bite-size pieces.

Add diced apple, pear, crumbled goat cheese, and pumpkin seeds to the dressed kale.

Toss to combine and enjoy immediately, or store in an airtight container for a grab-and-go lunch if you’re making the salad in the morning or night before.

Why (the science): Most Americans don’t get enough magnesium in their diet. Pumpkin seeds are very high in magnesium, which plays a role in reducing blood pressure, stabilizing blood sugar, reducing your risk of heart disease, and maintaining healthy bones.