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This salad is my new obsession! It is colorful, flavorful, and an absolutely perfect side-dish for the holidays. I promise, you’ll want to bring this to your next get together! It has all the flavor profiles perfectly combined: fresh, sweet, savory, and tart. The fresh kale is perfectly complimented by the sweetness of the pear and candied pecans, the savoriness of the feta and pumpkin seeds, and the tartness of the unsweetened craisins and the balsamic vinegar dressing. Then you have the addition of fresh sage and thyme leaves, which bring it all together perfectly.
Nutritional benefits of this recipe
- Pumpkin seeds are great for hormone health, digestive health, and the immune system. They have antioxidants, magnesium, zinc, and healthy fats.
- Fresh sage and thyme are antibacterial and anti-fungal and great for digestion, the immune system, inflammation, and more. Fresh herbs are superfoods!
- Kale is a rich source of vitamin K, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Pears are great for digestion and the immune system and are rich in vitamin C, antioxidants, and copper.
- Pecans contain vitamin E, antioxidants, flavonoids and ellagic acid.
Ingredients
Salad base:
Kale
Red pears – or other pear variety of choice
Pumpkin seeds – I used sprouted, salted pumpkin seeds by Go Raw.
Feta cheese – crumbled.
Pecans:
Halved pecans
Grass-fed butter
Maple syrup
Ground cinnamon
Salt
Dressing:
Balsamic vinegar
Extra virgin olive oil
Maple syrup
Shallot
Fresh thyme
Fresh sage
Directions
- Wash and chop the kale as instructed. Let it drain while following the next steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Prep the pecans: Toss the pecans in the butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Dump onto the parchment paper then bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let them cool.
- Prep the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the kale and salad dressing.
- Transfer half the kale into a large salad bowl then add half of the diced pears, pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta, tart craisins, and cooled pecans. Add the remaining kale then the remaining toppings.
- Best enjoyed fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days (without the pears, it’ll last 4-5 days).
Modifications
- If using raw pumpkin seeds, feel free toss them in the butter/maple syrup with the pecans and roast them along with them.
- Substitute the pear for apple if that’s what you prefer.
- Omit the feta for a dairy-free version. It’s still great without it!
- Sub some of the kale for arugula for extra flavor. Arugula has a distinct peppery flavor and would be a great addition to this salad!
Other recipes you’ll love
Greek Salad with Croutons and Toasted Pecans
I hope you love this Kale Salad with Pear, Feta, and Candied Pecans! Please be sure to leave a comment and rating if you try it out. I would love to hear what you think!
PrintKale Salad with Pear, Feta, and Candied Pecans
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 8 servings 1x
- Category: Sides
Ingredients
Pecans
1 cup halved pecans
2 Tbsp grass-fed butter, melted
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon
Pinch of salt
Dressing
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp pure maple syrup
1 small shallot, finely diced
5 sage leaves, finely diced
Thyme leaves from 4 sprigs
Kale salad
8 packed cups chopped kale, washed and torn/chopped into bite-sized pieces
2 small red pears, diced
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup unsweetened tart craisins
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (I used the sprouted, salted seeds by Go Raw)
Instructions
- Wash and chop the kale as instructed. Let it drain while following the next steps.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Place parchment paper on a baking sheet.
- Prep the pecans: Toss the pecans in the butter, maple syrup, cinnamon, and salt. Dump onto the parchment paper then bake in the preheated oven for 9-12 minutes until fragrant and slightly browned. Remove from oven and let them cool.
- Prep the dressing: Combine all dressing ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
- In a large bowl, toss together the kale and salad dressing.
- Transfer half the kale into a large salad bowl then add half of the diced pears, pumpkin seeds, crumbled feta, tart craisins, and cooled pecans. Add the remaining kale then the remaining toppings.
- Best enjoyed fresh. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two days (without the pears, it’ll last 4-5 days).
