Lets be honest, salads can be boring. So I’m always trying to think outside of the box to come up with salad recipes that I’ll thoroughly enjoy, but are beyond easy to make. Enter my Strawberry Kale Salad with Pumpkin Seeds, Serrano Peppers and Poppy Seed Dressing.
This four-ingredient Strawberry Kale Salad allowed me to get a little creative with my ingredients and almost fooled me into thinking I wasn’t actually eating a salad! And it never hurts when the salad is this gorgeous.
Nixing plain greens for baby kale with a touch of spinach, freshly sliced strawberries, pumpkin seeds, and fresh jalapenos for kick was the perfect combo. The balance of flavors—sweet to spicy—and the textures—crunchy pumpkin seeds to the soft strawberries—is absolutely divine…even coming from someone who can’t always be satisfied with just a salad. I do wish I had some herbed goat cheese, that would have really made sealed the deal.
And with a salad like this one, I always love a good poppy seed dressing. The tangy citrus flavor and thick consistency cool down the heat from the serranos, and pair perfectly with the fresh strawberries. Now I know not everyone likes heat, so in hindsight, I suggest putting the serrano peppers on the side for guests to choose if they want to add a little fire. Since I wanted to keep this salad super simple and under-5-minutes-to-make, I opted to use this store-bought poppy seed dressing, though you can absolutely make your own! Tell me, how do you think outside of the salad box? Truly, MKR
P.S. Wouldn’t this make for a beautiful salad for an upcoming bridal shower? I just love the pop of red and the fresh greens! xo
Ingredients
- 2 bags baby kale and arugula mix
- 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced thinly
- 1 jalapeno, sliced or diced thinly
- Handful of pumpkin seeds, to garnish each salad
- Candied pecans, finely chopped (optional)
- Herb goat cheese, molded into small crumbles (optional)
- Dressing of choice (I used store-bought poppy seed!)
Instructions
- Add all ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
- Pour dressing, toss and serve!
