Avocado Kale Salad with Almond Basil Dressing

I decided to skip my weekly What I Ate Wednesday post and just share this delicious raw and vegan, Avocado Kale Salad with Almond Basil Dressing instead. This salad is very similar to the one I shared in my last WIAW post and it was actually requested for dinner tonight so I made a new and improved version to share with you. It’s a beautiful, colourful, plant-powered superfood salad that will have you buzzing with energy!

Health Benefits of Basil

Basil is one of my favourite herbs and it’s also one of the healthiest herbs you can add to your diet. Basil is known to have powerful antioxidant properties that can protect the body from aging, skin conditions and even some types of cancer. It’s high in magnesium, vitamin K, iron, has antibacterial properties and has been shown to detoxify the liver. I love making salad dressings out of basil and of course, I love me some fresh basil pesto. Both dried basil and basil oil offer some of the same health benefits and even have some of their own.

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Antioxidant-Rich

In addition to the fragrant basil, you’ve got the famous superfood, kale, along with colourful bell peppers that are packed with antioxidants. This salad is a bit high in fat, but it’s all the wonderful fat that our bodies need and thrive on. Avocados, almonds and extra virgin olive provide essential fatty acids that your body and brain will thank you for. Add in the citrus from the lemon and you’ve got one nutritional powerhouse of a salad – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fats – it’s feel-good food at it’s best!

Avocado Kale Salad with Almond Basil Dressing

This dish really doesn’t need much explaining, just chop the veggies, make the dressing, top with avocado and eat! For us this made 4 servings – 2 for dinner and 2 for lunch but you could make it into 6-8 smaller servings for a side salad. I’d say it’s the perfect meal to enjoy during spring and summer months as it’s just so fresh, light and vibrant. Feel free to swap out the vegetables as needed, pretty much any fresh veggie will work. The more colours, the better! I hope you enjoy this salad and all the health benefits it has to offer!

Avocado Kale Salad with Almond Basil Dressing

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★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews

• Author: D.Macey
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Total Time: 20 mins

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Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup tightly packed fresh basil
• 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 cups fresh kale, de-stemmed, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp olive or grapeseed oil
• 2 carrots, thinly sliced
• 2 crowns broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1 zucchini, chopped into small pieces
• 1 cucumber, chopped into small pieces
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1 yellow pepper, diced
• 1/2 avocado per serving

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Instructions

1. Place the chopped and de-stemmed kale in a bowl and add the 1 tbsp of olive or grapeseed oil and 1 tbsp of fresh lemon juice, massaging until the kale is well-coated.
2. Place the almonds, olive oil, basil, lemon juice, water, apple cider vinegar, salt and pepper into a food proccesor or blender and mix well. Let it sit while you prepare the rest of the salad.
3. Add all the chopped veggies to the kale.
4. Pour the dressing over the kale and vegetables and mix well.
5. Top each serving with 1/2 an avocado and a few almonds.