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Kale Avocado Salad is the healthiest and tastiest salad on the block! Loaded with creamy, crispy, crunchy, and cold health foods that will make your tastebuds sing.
We had this for dinner last night. And my 8 year old ate the whoooole thing.
That’s right. STOP THE PRESSES. My daughter ate kale. As in the green leafy lettuce-like vegetable known to all mankind as kale.
Someone get me the smelling salts.
Not exactly sure if it’s because I tossed her salad in ranch dressing…or because I created a ‘build your own salad’ bar on our dining room table. Either way, I’m not complaining.
My son, however spit out the chicken, avocado and even chips….but ate all the corn he could get his hands on, with a side of apple carrot puree.
You win some, you lose some.
I originally saw a version of this salad on a restaurant menu believe it or not. They mostly just serve salads and this happened to be one of them.
I didn’t try it, soooo for all I know this is nothing like it tastes. But at least I got a little inspiration out of the whole deal.
Also, this balsamic based cilantro dressing is delightful. I was a little unsure of how it was going to taste, but it turned out to be the perfect garlicky and vinegary balance this salad needed.
And just as a side note, a sprinkle of red onion really livened this baby up….so don’t forget the onion!
Overall, a surprisingly delicious salad that {most} of my family enjoyed! Cheers to eating salads after a vacation full of donuts and burgers. #seriously
Have a great day, friends! Here’s the printable:
Kale Avocado Salad
Ingredients
for the chicken-
- 2 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
for the dressing-
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 clove garlic smashed
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 2 tablespoons agave
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- juice of 2 limes
- 1/4 cup light olive oil
- salt to taste
- 6 cups kale and/or 'power greens' pre washed lettuce mix
- 3 ears corn cooked and charred on the grill, or just canned corn
- 1 can garbanzo beans drained and rinsed
- 1 avocado sliced
- chopped cilantro
- finely diced red onion
- crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly spray baking sheet with non stick cooking spray and set aside. Toss chicken pieces in oil and seasonings. Spread evenly onto baking sheet and bake 15 minutes, turning once. Cool slightly.
- While chicken is cooking, place all ingredients for dressing into high powdered blender. Blitz until garlic is fully incorporated. Pour into serving bowl.
- Arrange each bowl with kale and other greens, corn, garbanzo beans, avocado, cilantro, onion, tortilla strips, etc. Top with chicken pieces and drizzle with dressing.
Where do the ingredients for the dressing stop? After the salt? I don’t blend kale and corn, etc with it? There is no separation after the salt and I just want to make sure I have it right! This looks so delicious!
This looks amazing!!! I definitely need to try it!
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I made this tonight and everyone loved it!!! The dressing is sooooo good.
Awesome!! Glad you enjoyed! 🙂
I can’t wait to try this!!
Healthy and delicious!
Yummy, can’t wait to try!
This looks amazing…gluten free and yummy!
That dressing looks so good! I’ve made balsamic/basil dressings but have never tried pairing balsamic with cilantro. I have some cilantro that needs to be used up in the fridge, so I know what I’m going to go make now!
Love this idea!! Kale is my favorite but my fiancé doesn’t like it. I’m excited to sneak it in to this bomb salad! This style dressing is a staple in my life can’t wait to try this recipe out 🙂
Yum! I love kale – maybe this salad will help me get out of the lunch rut I’ve been having lately!
I love salads, but have always struggled to make one with Kale that I like. And I like Kale when others have made it, or when it’s in things other than salads. This one though – I’ve got to try it!
I cannot wait to use this recipe and try it at home. It has all my favorite ingredients in it.
Who this looks yummy! I am always looking for a good salad!
Balsamic and cilantro dressing? Count me in! I never thought of using balsamic in a southwest style salad, but that sounds amazing and so different! I’m currently obsessed with a prepackaged salad with am addictive balsamic dressing from Costco, so I’m excited to try this one! I’m a vegetarian, so I’m going to sub some diced and cornstarch covered cooked tofu!
This looks sooo good! I can’t wait to try it!!
This salad sounds amazing! I would love to try it, but with tofu instead of chicken.
This salad looks fantastic. I always make the same old one, spring mix with all the same old boring fixings. I am excited to try this one out and have had it book marked since you posted it.
So yummy! Making this tomorrow for dinner, adding some spinach and serving with warm tortillas! Can’t wait!!! ❤️
I made this last weekend, and my husband asked “is this another one of those recipes from that Lauren lady?!” When all three kids eat dinner without complaining, he pretty much knows where the recipe came from!!
Omg. Everything I love in one bowl! I will probably eat the whooole thing, too!
This looks yummy!
I sent this to my bff because it looked like something we would both love. She made it and it was a hit. It’s in my meal plan for later this week (only because my avocados aren’t ripe yet😜).
Have wanted to try this since you posted it but
I’m a bit afraid of kale!
I keep coming back to this recipe thinking ‘I need to make this’ and tonight, I finally remembered to buy the ingredients while grocery shopping for weekly meal prep-I’m so excited!
This looks delicious!
I made this last night for my husband and I, it is delicious! A definite “make-again-recipe.” Yum! Thank you.
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This looks amazing!! I’ve been totally into salads lately – gotta try this!
Will have to try it without the chicken, thank you! 😀
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I’m SO making this!! I need ways to eat Kale that doesn’t make me feel like a rabbit!
Gorgeous salad Lauren!! I gotta make this asap!
Oh yum! I love the idea of the dressing 🙂
If you’ve found the secret to getting little ones to eat salad you are on your way to fortune and fame Lauren (if so, could you please find out how to make 60 year old men aka my Dad eat salad without complaining about ‘all the green stuff’).
Yum! Definitely will be trying this!
I agree with Caroline – love the southwest idea! Wish I could partake in the onions but after an indian dish with undercooked onions, can’t eat them now 🙁 Love how perfectly you laid out the ingredients too 🙂
This salad looks wonderful. It’s easy to char frozen corn. I put it in my cast iron skillet to char it. No oil used, though I oil my skillets after each washing. Wash the skillet, but on burner to dry, I put a paper towel or napkin over the mouth of my cooking oil and tip it onto the towel. this is just the amount needed to wipe around the warm skillet. Keeps it like a non-stick pan.
great tip!
I love the southwest twist, looks great!