Kale Apple Salad

Ingredients

For the salad

½ cup pecans

1/4 cup pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds

8 ounces kale

2 apples diced - sprinkled with lemon juice

1/2 cup diced red onion

½ cup dried cranberries (or dried cherries)

1/2 cup carrots - julienned

1/2 cup red peppers - diced

For the Dressing

4 tablespoons Za'atar spice blend

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)

1 tablespoon smooth Dijon mustard

1 ½ teaspoons honey or maple syrup

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and spread the pecans and pumpkin seeds on a baking tray. Toast them until lightly golden and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, tossing them once or twice to make sure they bake evenly. Remove the tray from the oven and set them aside to cool.

Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stems and discard the stems. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces.

Sprinkle a small pinch of sea salt over the kale and massage the leaves, until the leaves are darker in color and fragrant.

Add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl.

Sprinkle the za'atar spice blend on top, add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon mustard and maple syrup. 

Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing.

You can serve immediately, or for even better flavor, let the salad marinate in the dressing for 10 to 20 minutes.