Gut Friendly Kale & Blueberry Salad with Walnut Pesto Dressing

Total time30 min

Prep time20 min

Cook time5 min

4.8

(20)

Gut Friendly Kale & Blueberry Salad with Walnut Pesto Dressing

Fresh blueberries, massaged lacinato kale, and a silky walnut pesto dressing come together in a salad that feels genuinely exciting to eat. The technique of massaging the kale with a pinch of salt is a small step that makes a big difference — it breaks down the tough fibers, leaving the leaves tender, deeply green, and far easier on digestion than raw kale straight from the bunch. Walnuts show up twice here, once toasted and folded into the salad for crunch, and again blended with fresh basil, garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil into a creamy, herbaceous dressing that ties everything together. Blueberries add little bursts of sweetness that balance the savory pesto beautifully, while thinly sliced red onion brings just enough bite. Every ingredient in this bowl — leafy greens, berries, healthy fats, fresh herbs — is the kind of whole, minimally processed food that tends to sit well and leave you feeling good after eating. It comes together in one bowl with minimal cleanup, and the dressing blends up in under a minute, making this an easy choice for a nourishing weekday lunch or a standout starter at dinner.

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Ingredients

4 servings

For the salad

1 bunch (about 8 oz) lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
¼ tsp salt
1 cup fresh blueberries
¼ cup red onion, very thinly sliced
¼ cup dry-roasted walnuts, roughly chopped

For the walnut pesto dressing

1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
¼ cup dry-roasted walnuts
1 clove garlic
2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp water
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Instructions

1
In a small dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for the salad (1/4 cup, roughly chopped) and the walnuts for the dressing (1/4 cup) together, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly golden, about 3–4 minutes. Watch closely, as they can brown quickly. Remove from heat and let cool for 5 minutes, then separate into the two portions.
2
Place the torn kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes until the leaves darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.

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