I love huge salads. And the more diversity of plants, the better. Now, you might find me eating straight potatoes as a meal on some days, but at the next meal, I have everything but the kitchen sink in there! I call this intuitive eating and it’s important to listen to your body and give it what it craves (as long as it’s not cupcakes and chocolate all the time lol)! I am really talking about whole plant foods here: eat those with intuition and enjoy the abundance of different flavors, textures, colors and nutrients they all provide!

Here’s a hearty salad perfect for the holidays or anytime of the year. You could certainly eat this as a meal if you really fill your bowl up high or as a side salad to your fav entree. Regardless, it’s delicious and timely for the winter season with the pomegranate and oranges!

You’ll need:

• 1 bunch of kale

• 1-2 Tbs lemon juice

• 3 oranges, chopped into big chunks

• 1-2 diced shallots or 1/2 large sweet onion

• 1 cup pomegranate seeds

• small bell pepper, diced

• 1 Tbs poultry seasoning or favorite powdered herbal blend

• 1-2 cups beans of choice. I used my mixed bean salad that I prepared in one of my Food for Life classes

• 1/4 cup favorite low fat dressing (we used premium white balsamic vinegar of modena - it’s sweet and thick and delicious without oil! I infuse my own vinegars with herbs and I will teach you how to do this at some point here on the blog!)

Chop the kale into small pieces and massage with the lemon juice (you’ve gotta use your hands here!) in a big bowl.

Add remaining ingredients and toss the salad all together. Feel free to top with extra oranges and pomegranate seeds!

Enjoy!