You know when you just gotta get your crunch on? When your body is all like, “heeeeeey…what happened to those resolutions?” Beach Dreaming Grilled Pineapple Salad is going to take away those ‘not quite winter, not quite spring’ blues and bring healthy eats with a sweet citrus twist to the plate.

Yes, please.

I’ve got it hard for some beach dreaming. Anyone else feeling that vibe? Of course there are those genius folks that live in beautiful beach weather year round (ya lucky jerks) but when you don’t it seems like summer’s never going to get here. The ‘end of February itch’. Maybe it’s all your lovely February vacation photos that are killing my psyche.

Well if we can’t go to the beach, might as well bring beach flavors to us, right? In case you missed it, I dropped some big news back on Valentine’s Day. Dear lord, thank god we’re out of the first trimester because vegetables are finally back on the menu. And the sweet crunch of the grilled pineapple kale salad? I just can’t get enough of it I tell you.

Grilled Pineapple Kale Salad

Someone once commented on one of my kale salads that her husband calls kale “the lettuce that hurts your teeth.” LOL in real life at that. I get where he’s coming from, but this grilled pineapple kale salad gets a fine chop so these teeny piece of kale are just bite sized goodness. OR you can always substitute with baby spinach or whichever lettuce suits your fancy…or doesn’t hurt your teeth. Me? I’ll be over here living that kale life forever.

Did you know that red cabbage comes shaved? Like in a bag, super duper easy, just throw it in the bowl. Be that person, buy that bag. Use the leftover for other salads, or whip up some of my favorite coleslaw from these Crock Pot Pulled Pork Sliders.

You know what else is going to change your life? GINGER PASTE. When you need just a little or maybe a lot of ginger but you have zero time for peeling and finely mincing up fresh ginger, this stuff is gold…ginger paste should wear a cape.

The real sweet spot here is the combo of the grilled pineapple and that orange ginger dressing. Smokey sweet, a little zip and a fresh pop of citrus. Like a burst of tropical sunshine in a bite.

Eating in your flip flops not required, but totally recommended.

Beach Dreaming Grilled Pineapple Kale Salad

Crunchy kale and crisp red cabbage with sweet, grilled pineapple tossed in a zesty orange ginger dressing.

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Course: Salads

Cuisine: American

Keyword: grilled pineapple, kale salad

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Servings: 2 to 4 servings

Calories: 498kcal

Author: Lauren

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Ingredients

Grilled Pineapple Kale Salad

• 1 head curly kale about 4 cups, chopped fine
• 2 cup shaved red cabbage
• 1 ½ cups grilled pineapple about 1/2 pineapple, cored
• 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
• 2 tablespoons slivered almonds

Orange Ginger Dressing

• ½ cup orange juice fresh squeezed
• 1 teaspoon ginger paste
• 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar or preferred sugar substitute

Instructions

Grilled Pineapple Kale Salad

• Grilling the pineapple¹:  using either an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan, sear the pineapple on each side just long enough for grill marks to appear and slightly caramelize the pineapple.
• In a large bowl, combine the kale and red cabbage.  Toss with the dressing until fully coated.
• Add in the black sesame seeds and grilled pineapple.  Lightly mix, but not so much all the pineapple falls to the bottom.
• Sprinkle with slivered almonds over the top and serve.

Orange Ginger Dressing

• In bowl or small container, combine all ingredients.
• Whisk together vigorously OR use a hand blender and pulse 10 to 15 times until emulsified.²

Notes

¹I purchased the ready to go rings of fresh pineapple that are already sliced, peeled and cored in the produce department.  Because it wasn't quite grilling weather, I heated up my cast iron grill pan on the stove and seared the pineapple on each side.

²Emulsified is just a fancy way to say that the oil is incorporated with the rest of the ingredients so it doesn't separate.

 

Nutrition

Calories: 498kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Sodium: 52mg | Potassium: 884mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 27g | Vitamin A: 7683IU | Vitamin C: 219mg | Calcium: 227mg | Iron: 3mg