Summer Kale Salad with a Lemon-Garlic Vinaigrette

This Kale Salad is summer in a bowl. It has fresh crunchy cucumbers and yellow bell peppers, tangy marinated olives, and tender kale leaves tossed in a lemon garlic vinaigrette. It is the perfect summer side salad or a filling lunch with toasted bread. 

One of my favorite things about summer, aside from the amazing warmer weather, is the abundance of fresh produce. I love how everything is bright and full of flavor. The tomatoes are sweet and juicy. The strawberries are tender and sweet, and the cucumbers are vibrant green, fresh and crunchy.

Everything is so fresh and delicious!

My family and I have been trying to start a garden. Last year, was kinda a hot mess in terms of yield. We planted so many things, but the one things to produce were the tomatoes (in October!), green bell peppers, jalapenos, thyme, and basil.

This year, we are hoping, and praying for better success!

A Summer Kale Salad is a great way to use up and enjoy all the wonderful produce that is in abundance during this time. 

Key Ingredients in Summer Kale Salad

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Kale

Kale is a green leafy vegetable that people either hate or love. I personally love it! However, my family does not feel the same. Lol. Many people don’t like the strong earthy taste of kale or maybe the tougher texture compared to lettuce. 

I like the taste and the texture of kale. I also find that it is more filling than lettuce, making it a great lunch option with either some water crackers or toasted bread. 

One way you can improve the texture of the kale is by tenderizing it. You can tenderize your kale by massaging it with either salt or your favorite salad dressing for a few minutes before adding in the rest of the ingredients. 

Summer vegetables

This salad is great with just the kale, the salad dressing, and chopped cucumbers. But I love to add in other fresh vegetables. Some of my favorites are chopped tomatoes, sliced red onion, and chopped red or yellow bell peppers.

Marinated Olives

Marinated olives are one of my favorite additions to this salad! My sister and I absolutely love them. Our local grocery stores do not carry them, so we have to buy them off of Amazon. They are a little pricey on Amazon but they are worth it! They are a mix of green and black olives marinated in olive oil and herbs and they taste heavenly.

Any marinated olives would work in this recipe, but these are my favorites! I’ll link them here if you want to try them out!

Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

Many salads are great with a creamy dressing, however, I find this salad is best with a homemade lemon garlic vinaigrette.

This vinaigrette is made with fresh garlic. I like to grate the garlic with a Microplane, but you could finely chop the garlic as well. 

Tools You May Need:

Large Mixing bowl

Sharp knife

Microplane

How to Make Summer Kale Salad with a Lemon Garlic Vinaigrette

1. Start by rinsing the kale and removing the leaves from the stems. The stems can be eaten but they are pretty fibrous. Roughly chop the kale leaves.

2. In a large mixing bowl massage the chopped kale with salt for 2 - 3 minutes. This will make the kale leaves more tender. 

3. Next, chop all your vegetables and marinated olives. Then add them to the kale.

4. Finely chop or use a Microplane grate your garlic clove. Add the garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil to your kale. 

5. Toss everything together. Taste and adjust for seasoning, is necessary. Enjoy as a summer side salad or with buttery toast. 

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