Kale Salad with Blood Orange, Avocado, and Kombucha Vinaigrette

Remember that Fig Kombucha Vinaigrette I showed you a couple of days ago? FANtastic on this salad.

You guys, I cancelled my gym membership.

I know. I’m the only person on the planet who leaves the gym in January.

It’s not because I’m a contrarian extraordinaire, going against the New Years Resolution grain, and have decided to just not be fit.

It’s because it’s summer.

Okay, false, it’s winter.

But here in Reno/Tahoe, winter is dressed up in a summer suit. 4 years running, winter has been scary dry, and deliciously beautiful. It’s sunny and plenty warm enough to run outside. Which is why I cancelled my gym membership.

I almost feel guilty for enjoying this non-winter winter so much, and for absolutely loving my outdoor recreation activities. Working out is supposed to be just.awful, right? But lately, I’ve been tapping the trails like a dirty rap song, and guys, it’s been hot. Literally. Sweat.everywhere.

Winter salads! Let’s be pros at them. Since it’s citrus season, I’ve been slurping down sweet, tart, blood oranges, staining my counter tops with their vibrant juices, and adding the goooorgois fruit to just about everything under the sun.

Did I tell you the story about how blood oranges got…bloody? Oh my gah, you’ve gotta hear this one, because it’s an epic mind blow for people like me. Blood orange flesh is dark orange/red because it’s full of anthocyanins, which is a fancy word for antioxidants, which is a fancy way of saying they help detox and cleanse your system. This is the same antioxidant in many other deeply-colored fruits and vegetables, like blueberries, beets, red cabbage, etc. While the oranges grow, the pigment of the flesh deepens to that maroons color during the night, when temperatures drop. Ninja oranges! To learn more about blood oranges, check out this Guide to Blood Oranges from Cooking Light.

All things considered, this salad is a winning detox, with all the Vitamin C, K, A, and antioxidants you need to cleanse and replenish your system. Because kale is fat soluble, it needs to be consumed with a healthy fat in order to be properly digested, which is where the avocado and walnuts come in. They help you process and absorb the nutrients from the leafy green. Plus the whole thing tastes maaaarvelous.

Eat yourself some kale with kombucha vinaigrette and all the dang bloody oranges.

Kale Salad with Blood Orange, Avocado, and Kombucha Vinaigrette

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Author: Julia

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Ingredients

• 2 leaves heads Russian Red Kale finely chopped
• Fig Kombucha Vinaigrette*
• 1 ripe blood orange peeled and sliced
• 1 large avocado peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup raw walnuts chopped
• 1/4 cup goat chevre

Instructions

1. Wash the kale leaves well and remove the stems. Thinly slice the leaves and place in a large salad bowl. Drizzle desired amount of fig kombucha vinaigrette (or vinaigrette of choice) over the salad and toss well to be sure the leaves are well-coated.
2. Add the sliced blood oranges, avocado, walnuts and goat cheese to the salad bowl and toss. Add additional dressing and a sprinkle of sea salt.
3. Serve and enjoy!

Recipe Notes

Or vinaigrette of choice. You can also use the balsamic-date dressing from my Roasted Root Salad in place of the kombucha vinaigrette.