This delicious winter kale salad is one that takes the boring out of salad and will have you excited to dive right into this bowl. I recently had a salad over the holidays that inspired me to make my own version of it right in my own kitchen. This salad is healthy, full of flavor, texture, and couldn’t be prettier. I am obsessed with the dressing that uses one of my favorite seasonings, za’atar and has a hummus base that makes for a creamy dressing that is so good to have on hand in the fridge for any salad or veggies throughout the week that you might eat. This kale, grapefruit, and fennel salad with a citrus za’atar dressing is one that you will be making over and over again.
Do you cook with fennel? It’s a vegetable that has a licorice taste to it when eaten raw, but when roasted gets sweet and caramelized and its down right addicting. I happen to love it personally, so I added it two different ways on this salad. I pickled the fennel and roasted it too giving this kale salad two major flavor bombs that are SO good. I added some fresh grapefruit sections and crunchy sesame and pepita seeds to truly give you the best of flavor and texture with every bite.
You could swap out any citrus you like here if you aren’t a grapefruit fan, but I do love the light pink hues throughout the salad as well as the tart flavor that a grapefruit has. If you didn’t want to use pickled fennel here, which I highly recommend, a good alternative would be pickled red onions. There is something about the pickled vegetables with the roasted fennel and fresh citrus that is magical! The dressing is creamy but light and delicious and brings this whole salad situation together in the best way! If you haven’t ever added za’atar to your spice cabinet, now is the time. Not only is it delicious in this salad, but it’s great to add to vegetables, meat, and even eggs. The spice is made up of oregano, thyme, marjoram, sumac, and sesame seeds for a truly delicious spice that can add so much to so many dishes.
I can’t wait for y’all to give this salad a try for yourself.
Ingredients:
4 Cups Chopped Kale, stems removed
1 Grapefruit
1 Fennel Bulb
1 Tbsp. Sesame Seeds
2 Tbsp. Roasted Pepita Seeds
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/4 Tsp. Black Pepper
For the Pickled Fennel:
1 Fennel Bulb
1/2 Cup Rice Vinegar
1/2 Cup Water
1 Tsp. Turmeric
1 Tsp. Black Peppercorns
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tbsp. Kosher Salt
For the Za’atar Dressing:
1/2 Cup Grapefruit Juice
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
3 Tbsp. Hummus
1 Tsp. Za’atar seasoning
1 Tbsp. Honey
1/2 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Black Pepper
Directions:
Pickle fennel by combining water, vinegar, salt, sugar, turmeric, and peppercorns in a measuring cup and heating in the microwave for 30-45 seconds until warm. Stir and add fennel. Shake and place into a mason jar and into the fridge to chill for at least an hour but up to overnight.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Section grapefruit by going around the outside of the grapefruit and removing the skin and then slicing between each section to remove the segments. Place segments into one bowl and reserve the juice in another bowl.
Make dressing by combing grapefruit juice, olive oil, hummus, za’atar seasoning, honey, salt, and pepper and whisking until smooth. Set aside.
Roast the second bulb of fennel by slicing and tossing with olive oil, salt, and pepper for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.
Add kale to two bowls and toss with a little bit of the dressing and massage into leaves to slightly soften them.
Top with grapefruit segments, roasted fennel, pickled fennel, sesame seeds, pepita seeds, and extra dressing. Serve immediately.
How gorgeous is this salad? Oh and those pickled fennel slices, they are so good to keep in the fridge on the regular for adding to sandwiches, salads, and just for snacking! This recipe is definitely a must try!
