Baby Kale Salad with Honey-Mint Vinaigrette

This Baby Kale Salad can and should be enjoyed year-round! It uses baby kale as a base, and is topped with grapefruit, tomatoes, burrata cheese, and a honey-mint vinaigrette that you'll want to eat by the spoonful! 

Say hello to a very simple salad recipe: this baby kale salad! 

Honestly, it kind of reminds me of my burrata peach salad because it's SIMPLE yet incredibly flavorful at the same time. 

The thing is, I don't love grapefruit, so I'm trying to find fun ways to incorporate it into my diet. While I love my grapefruit smoothie, this salad is now my favorite way to do so. It's tastes light and fresh, mostly due to the minimal ingredients and the fresh mint leaves.

Recipe features

• A great way to use up garden tomatoes, fresh mint and/or grapefruit
• Can easily be customized to your liking (see below for other options)
• The vinaigrette is made with avocado oil OR olive oil and is absolutely delicious 

Ingredients

Baby kale - Or sub other kale varieties, like curly kale or lacinato kale, instead. Alternatively, you could use arugula, baby spinach or even mixed greens as a base if you prefer. 

Grapefruit - No substitution! It's one of the main ingredients. 

Tomatoes - Any variety will work (I used a vine ripe tomato and it worked great) 

Burrata - Or try fresh mozzarella cheese or even feta cheese instead.

Fresh mint - Mint leaves are a must for this salad! You can opt to only use them in the dressing, or to add a few to the actual salad as well. 

Oil - I used avocado oil because it's pretty neutral tasting and I had just purchased a large bottle from Costco. You can also use high quality extra virgin olive oil -- both work really well in this recipe. I don't recommend using canola oil or coconut oil. 

White wine vinegar - Or substitute champagne vinegar for a slightly sweeter flavor.

Instructions

Step 1: Make the vinaigrette. Whisk the oil, vinegar, honey, mint, mustard, salt, and pepper together in a small bowl or jar; set aside.

Step 2: Make the salad. Next, spread the kale out onto a large platter, or divide it into bowls. Top it with the grapefruit, tomato and burrata cheese, along with any additional salad toppings you'd like. 

Step 3: Assemble. Drizzle the honey mint vinaigrette overtop and enjoy!

Tips and tricks

• Want to bulk this salad up? Try adding sliced almonds or chopped walnuts, sliced apple, thinly sliced radishes, dried cranberries, and/or chickpeas (plain or roasted).
• If you're not using baby kale and using regular kale instead, consider chopping it into bite-sized pieces so it's easier to eat.
• Make ahead: To save time, you can make the vinaigrette in advance and store it in a sealed jar in the refrigerator until you're ready to make the salad.
• As with most salads, I don't recommend adding the dressing on top until you're ready to eat/serve it; otherwise, the lettuce will get soggy. 

Can this baby kale salad be made vegan? 

Of course! Simply omit the burrata cheese altogether, or substitute your favorite plant-based cheese or nuts (think: almonds, walnuts, pecans) instead.

Do I need to massage baby kale?

In my opinion, no. It's significantly less bitter than traditional kale, and therefore the massaging step isn't necessary. You can if you'd like to though! 

More easy salad recipes 

• Fattoush Salad
• Winter Kale Salad
• Salmon Caesar Salad 

If you made this recipe, be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Thanks!