I bought a bag of kale instead of a bag of spinach this week. My plan was to figure out ways to get this power house vegetable IN me and hopefully IN my family, although unless I hide it, they aren’t game.
According to NutritionData.com, Kale…
“.. is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It is also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.
All that for only 33 calories a cup!
Leafy greens like kale, chard, and collards are all foreign to me. I didn’t grow up eating “greens” except for spinach (which I hated) and lettuce. I remember mom making a box of frozen spinach which I’d choke down with tons of salt. I was maybe 30 when I discovered raw baby spinach in bags and now I use it on everything! Really, I do. Click here!
But enough about spinach. I’m moving on to kale! This week I tried it in smoothies, eggs, and this salad idea.
Yesterday I was craving beans for some reason. When I looked in the pantry all I had was a can of Northern and some chickpeas. I grabbed the Northern Beans, looked over and caught a glimpse of the dried cranberries. 
Hmmmm. Creamy beans, hearty greens, sweet cranberries? This could be a good combination, but it needs a little crunch.
BAM Cashews. Perfect.
That’s how the idea was born. Here’s how I made it.
- About 1 Cup Chopped Kale or more! (67g)
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/8 cup Dried Cranberries (20g)
- 1 15oz Can of Northern Beans drained and rinsed
- 2 tsp Balsamic Vinegar
- 1/2 oz Cashews chopped (14g)
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the kale and a 1/4 cup of water.
The water should boil shortly. Toss the kale. It will begin to deepen in color and wilt a little. Once it does add the cranberries. There’s should still be moisture in the pan.
Toss and cook for a minute or two until most of the water evaporates.
Add the beans.
Toss, add the vinegar and cook for 1-2 minutes allowing all the flavors to mix.
Add the cashews and cook for one more minute.
Remove and EAT!
I’m going to be honest, I ate the whole batch for lunch. I couldn’t help myself! I ate half, uploaded the photos, and then ate the other half. I liked it that much! So simple and so tasty! I was planning on it being 2 servings and that’s how I’ll list it, as I think it makes a fabulous side dish. You can always double the nutritional info if you eat it all, like I did. :)
| Servings | Amt per Serving | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | half the recipe | |||
| Calories | Fat | Fiber | WWPs | |
| 235 | 4g | 8g | old: 4 | new: 6 |
| Sugar | Sat Fat | Carbs | Protein | |
| 8g | 1g | 41g | 11g | |
Ronnie,
This looks amazing! I, too, am a spinach girl who has only just discovered kale (I started trying to eat locally and found that kale is about the only thing that grows in Maryland this time of year). I have become absolutely addicted to kale in only a few, short weeks. Make sure you try kale chips next (my husband and toddler even eat them!).
Best,
Erin
Hi Erin!
We have tried Kale chips! HUG fan.. here’s our video.. link to greenlitebites.com
I’m in Maryland too and got more into kale after joining a CSA last year.
Love your site!
This looks delicious! Kale is something I never tried until I was well into my 40′s and have been making up for lost time ever since. You’ve combined a lot of our favorite flavors so I think this will be a big hit at our house. Thanks!
I am always looking for new side dishes to try. This one is on the menu for this week :)
I’m glad I found your blog. Kale is tops on my list of favorite foods. I could make a meal of this salad!
Hi Roni…I made this for lunch today and just loved it. mmm mmmm mmmmm and so easy to make too! Can’t believe how much flavour the small amounts of cashews and cranberries gave to this dish. I’ll be making it again! Thanks for helping me to step out of the box:)
I have had this recipe pinned to my vegan board forever and finally had the chance to make it tonight. It is SO good. Thank you!
P.S. I ate the whole batch too, so next time I will try it with less beans and more kale, because I CAN’T BELIEVE I JUST ATE AN ENTIRE CAN OF BEANS! ;)
EXCELLENT! So easy to prepare too. Definitely my new favorite.
Yum! I just made this and it was so good! My 16 month old also enjoyed! :):) thanks for a healthy and easy lunch option!!