Big Chickie Kale Salad

Last weekend we were really excited to head down to a huge food truck festival.  There were 35 trucks, and 3 of them were ALL vegan!  We knew it would be crowded so we loaded the boys into the car and headed down on the early end of things—I think we got there within 15 minutes of it opening.  Well, we weren’t the only ones who thought that it sounded fun—it was a mob scene.  We took one look at the crowd and kept on driving.  No way were we going to navigate that kind of crowd with a stroller and two little ones.  Hopefully the event planners noticed how packed it was and will plan more of these events in the future.  It looked like a lot a fun!

Instead of the food truck festival we drove down to the Columbia City neighborhood of Seattle to a restaurant named Big Chickie.  As their name implies, they specialize in chicken.  However, short of the chicken, and 2 of their side dishes, almost everything else is vegan and gluten free!  So we decided to check it out.  The food was pretty good, and I was really happy that they had their allergens so well labeled.  It made it really easy to order food for Jonathan and feel confident that he wouldn’t have a reaction.  Bonus—it’s just a few blocks from my favorite vegan friendly ice cream shop which we promptly hit up afterwards!

^^^ Not bad for a chicken restaurant!  The Kale Salad is towards the upper right.

Hands down my favorites were the Lime Roasted Sweet Potatoes and the Kale Salad.  Kale salad can be so ordinary, but I was trying to err on the healthy side of things so I chose that as one of my side dishes.  I was so glad I did!  I talked to the waitress about the ingredients and they turned out to be really simple.  Lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, and veggies.  So I made it at home—and nailed it!

The dressing is super simple—so are the veggies.  The “magic” ingredient is the golden raisins!  I’m sure you could use purple raisins too, but the golden ones look so pretty.

Tip:  If your raisins look less than fresh—ahem, I’m looking at you bulk bin raisins—soak them in a cup of warm water for a few minutes and then drain.  They will plump up and soften.

Besides the delicious taste, my favorite thing about this salad, or almost any kale salad for that matter, is that it stays fresh all week.  I ate this every single day last week and even on the last day it was crisp.  I hope that you’ll add this salad to your warm weather repertoire—it’s a new favorite of mine!

If you try this recipe let me know—leave a comment, share the link, take a picture and tag #frieddandelions on your favorite social media platform!  It’s always great to hear and see from all you!

Big Chickie Kale Salad, serves 8
1 large head of kale (I used curly)
1 small wedge of purple cabbage, thinly sliced (maybe 1 c of cabbage)
1 large carrot, peeled and grated (I used my julienne peeler to create small strips)
1/2 c golden raisins

Dressing:
2 T olive oil
3 T lemon juice
1/2 t salt
1 T maple syrup

Mix salad ingredients in a small bowl or jar with a lid and whisk/shake well.  Set aside.

De-stem kale and wash well. Cut into small bite size pieces.  Put in a bowl and pour the dressing on top.  Using your hands, massage the kale in the dressing for about two minutes.  This will help the kale to lose it’s toughness and make it a bit easier to chew.  Don’t worry, it will still stay fresh and crisp!  After the kale is massaged add the remaining ingredients—cabbage, carrots, and raisins.  Mix well and serve.  Will stay fresh in the fridge for 5+ days in a sealed container.