Fire Cider Kale Crunch Salad

Move on over Chick-fil-a Kale Crunch salad! This infused apple cider vinegar dressing recipe is going to spice up that kale salad! Get all of the benefits of this turmeric and horseradish root infused fire cider dressing. A little bit of sweet and a little bit of spicy, a whole lot of healthy for those of you working on New Years Resolutions and on the Whole30 diet.

It can be totally overwhelming to add new things to our already busy schedule. But what if we could take those things and just make them part of the schedule we already have?  

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Adding herbs to your daily diet is a great way to get all of their benefits. Whether you are turning them into a salad dressing, sipping them in a tea or making a pancake syrup out of them. 

The little things that we do daily, over time, have the most impact on us. Think of some little things that you do for your health on a daily bases. It could be as simple as drinking 6-8 glasses of water a day, cutting out sugar, or daily exercise. Those things have a big impact over time while they don't seem like much on a day to day bases.

Let's dig into some of the benefits of the ingredients, shall we?

Horseradish root is most often used as a condiment. The meal that comes to mind is prime rib. It is often served with this dish and for good reason.  Horseradish is spicy and as such it helps to move things along in the digestive system making it a fabulous pair for a heavy dish of prime rib.

According to WebMD, “ Some people take horseradish by mouth for urinary tract infections, kidney stones, fluid retention, infections of the respiratory tract, cough, achy joins (rheumatism), gallbladder disorders, sciatic nerve pain, gout, colic, and intestinal worms in children.

Some people apply horseradish directly to the kin for painful and swollen joins or tissues and for minor muscle aches.”

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Turmeric (which is curcuma in English) is that bright golden root that many of us are familiar with. The turmeric seasoning gives this dressing it’s bright yellow color. It has long been used as a dye so be careful not to get it on you. Don’t ask me how I know that isn’t a good idea!

According to draxe.com, Turmeric, May slow or prevent Blood Clots

• May reduce depression symptoms
• Fights inflammation
• Boosts Skin Health
• May Outperform common Arthritis Drug
• May help manage diabetes
• Combats Obesity
• Supports Management of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
• May regulate cholesterol
• Works as a Natural Pain Reliever
• Aids in Detoxification”

There are as many different ingredients that could go into fire cider as in your mom’s noodle casserole. It’s really a matter of preference and need. Some of the most common traditional ingredients are: onion, garlic, jalapeño, lemon, ginger, cayenne, rosemary and of course that apple cider vinegar (read more about apple cider vinegar in this apple cider vinegar gummies post). As you can see this post would be WAY too long if I went over the benefits of each. So I’ll spare you, and let’s get to the grub…

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Fire Cider Kale Crunch Salad

Yield: 2-4

Author: Farmhouse Teas

Prep time: 15 MinTotal time: 15 Min

A little bit of sweet, a little bit of spicy, and whole lot of healthy!

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

• 1 head of red leaf or green leaf kale (or a mix)
• ½ lemon, juiced
• ½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup cooked wild rice, chilled
• 1 cup raspberries
• ½ cup raw walnut halves
• ½ honey crisp apple cut into matchsticks
• ¼ cup thinly sliced red onion

Optional add-ins

• Crumbled goat cheese
• Tomatoes
• Radish
• Bell peppers
• Any protein

Dressing Ingredients

• 3 tbsp prepared fire cider (We used Farmhouse Teas Dry Fire Cider Mix)
• ½ cup olive oil
• ½ tbsp honey or to taste
• 1 tbsp dijon mustard
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• ½ tsp freshly grated ginger
• ¼ tsp black pepper
• ¼ tsp salt

Instructions

1. To make your dressing, combine all ingredients into a mason jar with a tight lid. Shake until the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place in the fridge while you prepare your salad.
2. In a large bowl, combine the chopped kale, lemon juice, and olive oil. Massage the kale with your hands until the kale leaves are soft and not as tough.
3. Add the cooked rice, raspberries, walnuts, apple, and red onion. Toss to mix.
4. Drizzle the salad with the desired amount of dressing, toss again, and serve immediately.
5. Store leftover vinaigrette in the refrigerator.

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I'm so missing our hoop house greens this winter, there just isn't anything like fresh cut baby a kale! Though this pretty dressed up salad is tasty even with the store bought greens. The raspberries in the salad are a welcome treat and the dressing sure livens up things on a cold rainy day here in Western Oregon.

Feel free to use your own fresh fire cider infusion or if you are in a pinch grab one of Farmhouse Teas Dry Fire Cider Mix. There are so many ways to add it to your daily diet.

What little habits are you working on this year? Leave me a comment below, I'd love to know what you are working on! 

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