Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Blackberry Green Tea Vinaigrette

I love kale salads so much that I decided to take it up a notch.  This one is loaded with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and is absolutely delicious.

Today is a weird day for me.  And by weird I mean sad.

It was 26 years ago today that my mother lost her battle with cancer.  It feels weird because it was so long ago but still hurts a lot.  

I was just a teenager when she died and it impacted my life forever.

My mother was a fabulous cook.  She was Italian and loved to make everything homemade.  

I loved that about her and she inspired me to become who I am today.  One thing my mother would always eat was roasted brussels sprouts.  

And man they smelled awful.  

I was actually an even pickier eater as a child (if you can imagine) and wouldn't eat most things that my mother prepared.  And now, having kids of my own, I feel badly that my mother took the time to cook all of these wonderful meals and I was too picky (and stubborn) to even try them.  

I wouldn't even bring the stinky brussels sprouts close to my mouth.  I wouldn't even try a tiny bit of them.

Boy do I regret not even trying them.  Just for my mother's sake.  

Live and learn, right?

It wasn't until I was older that I tried brussels sprouts and instantly fell in love.  I roasted them just like my mother did…a little olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper.  

I was in heaven.

I knew I had to share a recipe today that had brussels sprouts in it in honor of my mom.  I know she is smiling down on me, possibly shaking her head giving me an "I told you so" look.  

I deserve it.  Mom, you were right.

Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Blackberry Green Tea Vinaigrette

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Servings: 3 servings of salad and ½ cup of dressing

Author: Lauren Kelly

Ingredients

• ▢ Vinaigrette:
• ▢ ½ cup boiling water
• ▢ 1 green tea bag
• ▢ ¾ cup blackberries
• ▢ 1 tablespoon olive oil
• ▢ 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• ▢ ½ cup chopped onion
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon honey
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon salt
• ▢ Salad:
• ▢ 1 bag of Cruciferous Crunch from Trader Joe's shredded brussels sprouts, kale, red cabbage, green cabbage and broccoli
• ▢ 1 bunch of shredded kale I like to add some extra kale
• ▢ ¼ cup toasted chopped walnuts I used Diamond of California
• ▢ ¼ cup manchego cheese grated

Instructions

• Place green tea bag into boiling water and let sit for at least 10 minutes.
• Place green tea into food processor or blender making sure to press down on the tea bag to get all of the tea out.
• Place blackberries, oil, vinegar, onion, garlic, honey and salt on top of green tea in food processor or blender and blend until smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
• Pour dressing through a fine mesh strainer while pressing down with a large wooden spoon to release any extra juices. **I've made this twice now. Once where I strained the dressing and left the pulp and another time where I poured the dressing into an airtight container with a lid and vigorously shook it before I used it. Both ways it came out great.
• In a large bowl, pour shredded brussels sprouts mixture and chopped kale.
• Top with walnuts, cheese and dressing. Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to eat.

Nutrition

Serving: 3g

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I cheated a bit and used Trader Joe's "Cruciferous Crunch" bagged shredded brussels sprouts, kale, broccoli, red and green cabbage.  I also added some extra shredded kale just to add some color (and nutrition!)  

You can used whatever shredded veggies you'd like.  But this combination was delicious.

I love this dressing so much.  Walnuts are a wonderful source of omega-3 fatty acids and protein.  

I toast them in a small skillet with no added oil over a low heat for about 2-3 minutes.  Yup, it's that easy to toast nuts.  

And they taste amazing.  Blackberries have tons of powerful antioxidants and fiber and are one of my favorite fruits.  

As most of you know, I adore my green tea.  It's filled with powerful antioxidants that help fight off those dangerous free radicals that can harm the body.  

Green tea is also really great for your skin and has shown to help prevent many diseases such as diabetes, cancer, heart disease and may even aid in weight loss.  Yup, it's kind perfect.  

So why not add it to a salad dressing?

I love this salad so much and I know my mother would too.  Although it was annoying, I totally understood why my kids would't try it.  

And that's ok.  I bet when they have kids of their own they will try it and love it too.  

If you make this salad or any of my other recipes, please come back and let me know. I love to hear from you!

Thank you so much for stopping by!