Summer is here and it's time to start making fresh, healthy salads! I make a salad that's very popular among friends, family, and clients and it's been dubbed my "Kale Superfood Salad".  It features several nutrient dense foods that are grown and produced either locally or within Canada including hemp hearts, kale, cabbage, carrots, sauerkraut, apple cider vinegar and seaweed! 

My favourite aspect of this recipe is that it showcases Mermaid Fare's hana tsunomata, which is a beautiful variety of seaweed grown in Atlantic Canada.  If you're not used to eating seaweed this recipe is a great opportunity to start adding this nutrition powerhouse your diet.  Hana tsunomata is rich in minerals and trace elements, omega-3 fatty acids, and B vitamins. It's loaded with dietary fibre and is a source of plant-based protein, iron, and iodine, making it a suitable option for vegans, vegetarians and anyone looking to add more nutrients to their diet.

Quick tip: If you've never used seaweed before, here's how you rehydrate it. Add 5 g (about a handful) to a medium sized bowl and cover it with about 2 cups of water. Let it sit for about 5 minutes allowing the seaweed to fully rehydrate. You'll notice the seaweed will expand significantly. Simply drain the rehydrated seaweed in a colander and dry it off, squeezing out the excess water, using a hand towel.  

AMY'S SUPERFOOD KALE SALAD 

Makes 4 to 6 servings

Salad Ingredients: 

1 bunch of kale, leaves removed and finely sliced, stems discarded
1/2 of a small red cabbage, finely sliced (by hand or using a food processor) 
1 large carrot, grated (by hand or using a food processor) 
1/4 cup hemp hearts
5 oz dried hana tsunomata (seaweed), rehydrated & dried off 
Sauerkraut (raw/unpasteurized)
+ olive oil, apple cider vinegar & sea salt to massage the kale

Dressing Ingredients: 

5 tablespoons, extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons, apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons, dijon mustard
2 teaspoons, maple syrup
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions: 

For the salad: Add the sliced kale to a large bowl and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil, add a splash of apple cider vinegar, and a pinch of sea salt. Using your hands, squeeze and massage the kale leaves. You’ll do this for 2 or 3 minutes until the leaves start to soften. This will make the kale easier to chew and more palatable.  Once the kale is soft, add the cabbage, and carrot to the bowl.

To make the dressing: Using a fork or a whisk, combine apple cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and maple syrup in a bowl or medium sized measuring cup.  Slowly pour in 5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and whisk, or stir, until thoroughly emulsified, then mix in sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste.

To assemble the salad: Drizzle the dressing over the kale, cabbage, carrot and hana tsunomata. Mix the salad well to ensure that the vegetables are evenly coated. Add the hemp hearts and toss again. Serve immediately and top with as much sauerkraut as you'd like.