I had to laugh at myself between bites today, as I ate this salad. I hadn't realized that I had said "mmm" while chewing literally every. single. bite. My mouth waters in remembering it, and that makes sense because the play of flavors spark all the taste buds, while the textures provide a ton of interest to the eating. You've got sweet, savory, tart, bitter, and salty for flavors, plus the 4 big "Cs" of texture: crunchy/crispy/creamy/chewy.
That's why I love this salad at Christmas, it holds its own next to anything, is red and green, and there is rarely any left. That good.
If you don't like the tang of mayo, use sour cream plus an extra tsp. of vinegar.
Notes: Mayo is Hellmann's. Apple cider vinegar is Bragg's.
RED & GREEN CHRISTMAS SALAD
Ingredients: 1 cup shredded kale, 2 1/2 cups broccoli florets, 1/2 cup diced celery, 1/4 cup diced red onion, 1/2 cup dried cranberries, 1/3 cup shaved almonds, 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds. Dressing: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 3 tsp. apple cider vinegar, 1 1/2 tbsp. granulated sugar, 1/4 tsp. sea salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper.
Serves 4.
1. Make the dressing: Whisk mayo, apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper in the bottom of a large bowl until well combined.
2. Add broccoli florets, kale, celery, red onion, cranberries, almonds and pumpkin seeds to the bowl.
3. Fold everything together using a spatula to bring up the dressing from the bottom.
4. Let the salad sit for 20 minutes at room temperature before serving. (Can be made ahead and refrigerated up to three days. Let the salad sit for 30 minutes at room temp. to get the chill off before serving.)