I love having salad for lunch or dinner, especially during summer! To make sure a salad is going to be filling enough, I like to add proteins, carbs, and good fats. This recipe checks all the boxes to make it perfect for a meal. This salad is also easy to customize – I gave some ideas after the recipe’s instructions. You’ll find that not all the ingredients have a precise quantity. I thought it would make it easier to adapt to different appetites!

Servings: about 4

Ingredients

For the dressing

• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper

For the salad

• 4 cups of kale (about 1 bunch)
• 2-4 cooked chicken breast
• 1 cup cooked barley
• 4-6 fresh strawberries, sliced or diced
• ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
• ¼ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Instructions

1. Wash and dry the kale. Remove the stems and tear the leaves into smaller pieces.
2. If desired, place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and massage the leaves with your hands for 2-3 minutes to soften the kale.
3. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place the kale in individual serving bowls and top with the rest of the ingredients for the salad.
5. Top the salads with the dressing and enjoy!

Customization ideas:

• No time to cook the barley or can’t find any at the grocery store? No problem! You can switch it with wild rice or quinoa. You can also just omit it and complete your meal with a bagel or some crackers, for example!
• For a vegetarian option, you can substitute the chicken for a can of rinsed chickpeas or white kidney beans.
• If you’re not a fan of kale, you can substitute it for any other salad/lettuce. I would suggest the spring mix!