Seed Oil Free Kale & Blueberry Salad with Walnut Pesto Dressing
Bright, bold, and built entirely around whole-food fats, this kale and blueberry salad is the kind of dish that makes you rethink what a salad can be. Massaging the kale with a pinch of salt is the secret move here ā it softens the leaves and mellows any bitterness, turning a sometimes tough green into something genuinely tender and craveable. The walnut pesto dressing is blended from scratch using extra-virgin olive oil, fresh basil, lemon juice, and toasted walnuts, so there's no mystery oil hiding in a store-bought bottle. That matters a lot when you're trying to avoid industrially processed seed oils, which sneak into so many packaged dressings and condiments. Juicy blueberries and paper-thin red onion add sweetness and a little bite, while the extra chopped walnuts on top give every forkful a satisfying crunch. The whole thing comes together in one bowl with minimal equipment ā just a skillet, a blender, and your hands. It's the kind of salad you'll actually look forward to eating.
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Learn more āIngredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 bunch (about 8 oz) lacinato kale, stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- Ā¼ tsp salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- Ā¼ cup red onion, very thinly sliced
- Ā¼ cup dry-roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
For the walnut pesto dressing
- 1 cup fresh basil leaves, loosely packed
- Ā¼ cup dry-roasted walnuts
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tbsp lemon juice, freshly squeezed
- Ā¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp water
- Ā¼ tsp salt
- Ā¼ tsp black pepper
- Ā¼ 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 3ā4 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 1ā2 minutes until the leaves darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.
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