Blueberry & Lacinato Kale Salad With a Nut-Seed Cracker Crumble

A colorful, nutrient-packed salad with sweet blueberries and a satisfying crunch.

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5 Ingredients or Less
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15 minutes or less
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For the whole family
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Diabetes-friendly
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Immune boosting
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Heart-healthy
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Anti-inflammatory
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Vegetarian
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Vegan
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Gluten-free
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Dairy-free
Blueberry & Lacinato Kale Salad With a Nut-Seed Cracker Crumble
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Blueberry & Lacinato Kale Salad With a Nut-Seed Cracker Crumble

WHAT YOU'LL NEED:

Salad

  • 1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale, stemmed & chiffonade
  • ½ cup fresh blueberries (wild, if available)
  • ¼ cup toasted walnuts, crushed
  • Nut-seed cracker shards (above)
  • Parmesan, for microplaning

Goat Cheese & Black Garlic Dressing

  • 4 oz (½ cup) soft chèvre, room temperature
  • 3 black garlic cloves
  • 3 tbsp toasted walnuts
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice + zest of ½ lemon
  • 1 tbsp shoyu
  • 1½ tsp fish sauce
  • 2–4 tbsp cold water, to loosen
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Nut-Seed Cracker Shards

  • 1 cup almond flour
  • ½ cup roasted unsalted almonds, chopped
  • ½ cup roasted pistachios, chopped
  • ¼ cup pine nuts
  • ½ cup ground flaxseed
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 3 tbsp psyllium husk powder
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp fine sea salt 
  • ½ tsp black pepper
  • 1½–1¾ cups warm water, added gradually
  • Optional: ½ tsp caraway, fennel, or coriander
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DIRECTIONS:

For the nut-seed cracker shards:

  1. Heat oven to 325°F. Whisk all dry ingredients; stir in the chopped nuts.
  2. Add oil and 1½ cups warm water; stir to a thick dough, adding water by the tablespoon until it just holds. Rest 10 minutes to hydrate — the psyllium will gel.
  3. Spread onto parchment, top with a second sheet, and roll very thin (~⅛"), as even as possible. Peel the top sheet.
  4. Bake 25 minutes; slide off the parchment, flip, and bake 15–20 minutes more until deep golden and fully crisp. Cool completely.
  5. Crackle into rough shards.

For the dressing:

  1. Blend the chèvre, black garlic, walnuts, sherry vinegar, lemon juice & zest, shoyu, and fish sauce until smooth.
  2. With the motor running, stream in the olive oil, then thin with water to a pourable, spoon-coating consistency (~1 cup). Finish with black pepper; chill until serving.

For the salad:

  1. Massage the kale chiffonade with just enough dressing to gloss and slightly soften it, 1–2 minutes (about 3–4 tbsp for two).
  2. Add the blueberries and crushed walnuts; toss lightly and divide between two plates.
  3. Scatter the cracker shards over the top and microplane a generous snowfall of Parmesan. Add a little more dressing to finish.
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Thrive tip

This recipe makes about one cup of dressing, so you’ll have extra that you can use with other meals. Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to one week.

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