Smoked Chicken, Kale and Cranberry Salad

Kale is one of those superfoods much loved by the healthy community at large and fairly unexplored by everybody else.  If spinach is the bringer of healthy giving, iron rich, energy, then kale is its older, hardier and more powerful cousin.  Rich in calcium, vitamin c, vitamin k and beta carotene, this is the kind of stuff that empires were built on, or, if not that, then at least kept lively on.  If you meet someone incredibly healthy, with great skin, then you can pretty much guarantee that they’re a regular consumer of kale (and juicing, it’s always juicing).

Having said all of that, I was a little unimpressed the first time I tried it: slightly prickly, a little bitter and metallic, I felt the resemblance to nettles and seaweed was just a little too close for comfort.  But of course, like so many things, it is how you have it that bridges the gap between edible and delicious.  It was at Saf, that mecca for all things incredible and raw, that I tried a kale, avocado and candied pecan salad.  It was so incredibly good that I’ve been making variations of it ever since.  This Christmassy number is deep and rich, with creamy avocado, smoked chicken and the tang of dried cranberries.  I love the combination of colours and flavours and find it surprisingly warming for this time of year.  Serve as it is with its light and zesty dressing or add a baked sweet potato for extra warmth and body.

CHICKEN, KALE AND CRANBERRY SALAD

Serves 2

150g kale

1 smoked chicken breast

1 ripe hass avocado

50g dried cranberries

For the dressing

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp lemon juice

½ - 1 tsp soft light brown sugar or honey, to taste

Sea salt and black pepper

Begin by rinsing the kale.  Take each leaf, fold over in half lengthways and use a small sharp knife to trim away the stalk.  Finely slice the leaves widthways and place in a large serving bowl.

Slice the avocado in half, remove the stone and use a spoon to scoop out the flesh whole.  Chop into 1cm chunks and add to the kale.  Slice the chicken widthways into thin slices, add to the kale and scatter over the cranberries.

Make up the dressing by whisking together all of the ingredients, season to taste, pour over the salad and toss before serving.

Comments

[Hannah]

This looks so christmassy even though it's a salad!! Yummy!

[John]

Delicious, I love smoked chicken and cranberries and those sweet potatoes look great. A must try.