Increase vitamin D levels with this warm kale salad recipe

Salad in winter? Before you keep scrolling, we promise this nourishing bowl is slicker than your average green salad. This creamy goodness comes warm – so it’s guaranteed to hit the spot, even on chilly evenings.

Seasonal kale is packed with minerals, including sleep-aiding magnesium so you can enjoy some restful shut-eye (even on the nights you’re wired from watching The Serpent). Plus, the dark leafy green pairs perfectly with hearty mushrooms – one of the only plant sources of vitamin D, which is not only essential for supporting your immune system but strengthens muscle fibres so you can continue to hit your fitness goals.

Top with a velvety vegan sauce made from heart-healthy cashews and garlicky, toasted croutons to fulfil your carbohydrate (and crunch-loving) needs. Winter’s most underrated meal just got a new lease on life.

INGREDIENTS:

Handful of pumpkin seeds (about 25g)

Handful of sunflower seeds (about 25g)

Olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

200g mushrooms, thinly sliced

200g kale

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

2 slices of bread (we love sourdough)

1 garlic clove

2 ripe avocados, peeled, stoned and cut into bite-sized pieces

Salt

FOR THE DRESSING

40g sunflower seeds

60g cashews

100ml almond or oat milk

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 heaped tablespoon nutritional

Yeast

3 tablespoons olive oil

Squeeze of lemon

METHOD:

1. Heat the oven to 200ºC fan. Toss the pumpkin and sunflower seeds on to a baking tray with a tablespoon of olive oil, some salt and the cumin. Roast for about 5 minutes, until crunchy.

2. Place the mushrooms in a large frying pan over a medium heat with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt. Let them sauté while you make the salad, stirring them every now and again until they turn golden brown.

3. Place the kale in a large mixing bowl, then remove any thick stems and tear the leaves into pieces.

4. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the apple cider vinegar and a sprinkling of salt and rub them into the leaves using your hands. Massage the kale for a minute or so, being really firm, so that it softens.

5. Next, make the dressing. Simply place all the ingredients in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

6. Toast the bread or sourdough, then rub it with a raw garlic clove and cut it into bite-sized chunks.

7. Rub the dressing into the kale, massaging it with your hands and letting it soften even more. Then toss in the toasted seeds, mushroom, avocado and sourdough.

Image and recipe courtesy of Ella Mills of Deliciously Ella Making Plant-Based Quick & Easy

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