This dark sweet cherry kale salad has to be my favorite salad of the year so far. It’s got all the flavors and textures, crunchy salty pistachios, creamy white cannellini beans, sweet cherries and of course lots of kale! Don’t pretend that you don’t love kale! The homemade dressing is made from dark sweet cherries and balsamic vinegar and it’s so good you could literally drink it right out of the serving dish. I was happily dipping kale leaves in the dressing while I was taking pictures of this salad, I just couldn’t help myself.
And this is a big step for me. You see growing up I thought cherries were disguising. I also didn’t like cheese (gasp), mayo (still gross) and grape jelly (still meh). I remember my dad being so excited that cherries were in season and bringing home a big bag. He would always offer me and my sister some, and I’m pretty sure my sister ate her little heart out. I on the other hand sat there grumpy and annoyed, didn’t he know I hated cherries!
Growing up I’ve been pretty open to trying new flavors and foods. I don’t know why it took me so long to try cherries again. Maybe it’s all that artificial cherry stuff floating around out there – cough drops, cough medicine, starburst and and jolly ranchers. I still despise all of these things, fake fruit just doesn’t get me excited. I’m much more of a chocolate kind of girl anyway 🙂 So yes, I randomly bought a bag of frozen dark sweet cherries on day last year, popped on in my mouth and was instantly in heaven. Seriously, if you haven’t tried dark sweet cherries in awhile, do yourself a favor and grab a pound or a bag while they are still in season this summer or grab a bag in your frozen aisle!
Side note, if you buy dark sweet cherries, there are seeds in the middle. Which are a pain in the butt to remove with a knife, so expect it to look like a small massacre happened on your cutting board when making this salad ok? Don’t worry, it washes right off but still, it’s kind of messy! If you have a cherry pitter, you are in luck and this salad will go from 10 minutes to about 5 minutes to prepare! You could also use frozen cherries in both the dressing and the salad but I really love the texture of the fresh cherries in the salad.
Feel free to add whatever salad toppings you love. Candied pecans and goat cheese would be amazing in this dish. You could also add grilled chicken, balsamic tofu, or make extra dressing and use it as a marinade for flank steak or pork chops. I will definitely be trying that recipe for Dave this weekend! As for me, I loved this salad exactly the way it was.
Besides being potentially one of the sweetest summer fruits out there, dark sweet cherries pack a serious nutritional punch. They are full of fiber which means you will eat less of these and feel full much longer! Dark sweet cherries are also packed with antioxidants!
Dark sweet cherries have antioxidant flavonoids called anthocyanins that help protect the body from damage caused by free radicals. Antioxidants work hard to neutralize free radicals which helps to prevent damage to the bodies cells and tissues, keeping you healthy. The anthoyanins, which also give the cherries their dark red hue, have been shown to be anti-inflammatory and anti-carcinogenic. That makes this salad the perfect treat after an intense workout or long run!
Dark sweet cherries are also packed with Vitamin C. The kids just went back to school and already bringing home lots of germs! Fight those coughs and colds with plenty of natural Vitamin C. Also did you know that in order for your body to create collagen. That’s right you skin will even look firmer when you get your daily allowance of Vitamin C! Not to mention your bones, skin, muscles and blood vessels!
To make the dressing, you will want to defrost about a cup of frozen dark sweet cherries and about 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar and a pinch of salt. Once defrosted you can either blend the ingredients with an immersion blender or in your regular blender. I was lucky enough to get an immersion blender from Dave’s parents for Christmas and it’s seriously one of the most used gadgets in my kitchen next to the food processor and the spiralizer. If you are starting to put your Holiday Wish List together, I highly recommend adding an all three of those items asap!
The new item on my wish list is a cherry pitter. Again, I never thought I would need one and I’m usually not a fan of contraptions that only do one thing. But seriously, I think it would be worth the investment! To pit the cherries without a pitter, remove the stem and then go around the entire cherry with a knife, turn the cherry and go around again, dividing it into 4 sections. Pull away the flesh from the seed. Normally one side will come free pretty easily and you will get at least one side stuck to the seed, Just pull the flesh away and prepare to get a little messy! Don’t let this keep you from adding the cherries, they are CRUCIAL!
Another kale salad? You bet! This one has homemade cherry balsamic dressing #vegan #fitflutential… Click To Tweet
- 1 bag of organic kale, large stems removed
- ¼ cup shelled pistachios
- ½ red pepper, chopped
- ¼ cup shredded carrots
- ½ cup white cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
- 15-20 dark sweet cherries, cut into quarters
- 1 cup defrosted dark sweet cherries
- ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbs to ¼ cup water as needed
- ½ tsp. salt
- black pepper to taste
- IN a large bowl, add the kale, removing any big stems as you go.
- Chop the veggies and add them on top of the kale. Add pistachios.
- Drain and rinse the white cannenili beans. Allow to sit in water for 5 minutes while cutting up the cherries
- Cut the cherries into quarters and remove the pits. Add to salad.
- Drain the cannenili beans and add them to the salad.
- Defrost the dark sweet cherries in the microwave or on the stove. Add the cherries, balsamic vinegar and salt to blender or blend with immersion blender in a bowl with high sides (I use the bowl that it came with). Taste for salt and add a pinch of black pepper.Add water and stir until you reach a consistency you like. I added about 2 tbs.
- Add dressing directly to the salad and toss to coat leaves. Serve immediately or up to 24 hours later. The kale doesn't wilt like traditional lettuce so you can make this dish ahead of time no problem.
- Optional: hemp hearts, roasted red peppers, goat cheese
What about you?
- Cherries – love em hate em?
- What food did you despise as a kid?
- What is your favorite kitchen gadget?
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Cherries are so darn good! I love how you put these in the dressing and in the salad! More cherries=more fun!
Last year I went through an OBSESSION with cherries. And this salad I could easily get into! I love that dressing. So many of my favorite things. I see some jicama making its way in there as well.
I’ve been loving cherries all summer long! And I am so with you – mayo and grape jelly have always been no-no’s in my book.
This looks incredible!
OOhhh – I love a good kale salad, plus I love that you added beans for extra protein. This may need to go into my regular lunch rotation.
We are always looking for new ways to use kale, this salad looks awesomely delicious!
I love kale. And cherries. And pistachios. I do think I’d love this salad!!!
Cherries and Kale are a great pair. They compliment each other like olive oil and vinegar ( if that makes sense ) they really belong together. Beautiful healthy salad, pinning !
We adore kale salads. We have a garden full of it! Putting fresh sweet cherries and pistachios in sounds divine! Thanks for sharing!
I love cherries AND kale, what a great idea to put them in a salad together!
Mmmm, I love a good kale salad! this looks like such a good summer salad
This salad looks nutritious and tasty. Love the sweet and salty combination.
I could eat the entire bowl!
I love cherries and have come to love Kale so I am sure they are a great combination, the salad looks so delicious.
I’ve never seen dark sweet cherries in the US. But in Europe they are popular and I love them! This salad sound really delicious.
Sam, This bowl of salad screams good health! Gotta to try this.
What a great combination! Sweet cherries and tangy kale – I never would have thought of it. I have a cherry balsamic vinegar that I definitely want to try in this.
Cherries and kale…who woulda thought?! This looks awesome. I love cherries, but don’t buy them often because they’re sort of expensive around here. At least there’s Cherry Garcia ice cream ;). Love the look of your site, too!
My granddaughter and I will be picking kale from the garden this evening. What a great recipe.
We recently added Kale to our salad mix. It is a great addition! That dressing sounds really wonderful too!
Great recipe and I’ve both main ingredients ‘Kale & Cherry’ at home. Definitely making this one.
I am one of those people who jumped on the kale bandwagon and I refuse to get off! I love kale and love finding new salads to make with kale! Beautiful photos!
I love salads and this dressing sounds amazing too!
I love throwing a handful of beans and some fruit on my salad. I have to admit I haven’t combined cherries and white beans, but now that you’ve mentioned it, I know it will happen eventually 🙂
I have to try this new cherry and kale combination. Your salad looks really good
Oh, that looks so beautifully delicious! Love the combination of veggies in that bowl!
That dressing really takes the salad over the top!
Looks super healthy and delish! Can’t beat that!
I love cherries, but I would have never thought to make them into a dressing, brilliant!
OOh! I love the way you write out “recipe tips.” I might just have to borrow that for my own blog!
This salad is beautiful and the cherry balsamic dressing sounds delicious!
This salad is beautiful and I love the flavor combination! I am going to have to try it soon!
I love that you used cherries in this kale salad, to add a bit of something sweet!
I love a good kale salad, especially one with yummy cherries!
So glad you no longer shun cherries are gross 😉
I’m slowly learning to like kale salads and with so many ingredients I love this sounds like a perfect one for me to try!
Your dad sounds like mine…and your sister like me 🙂 I love cherries, so good. Thanks for sharing on Weekend Bites
Wow! I love the idea of combining cherries and balsamic vinegar in a dressing. That salad looks soooo good.
What a delicious salad! I make a kale salad for my daughter every single week…might be time to try something new! So glad you shared it with us at #FoodieFriDIY…sending some foodie love your way!
I have never had a cherry salad, but this one looks so yummy and delicious, a must try!
I’m always looking for new, tasty lunch salad recipes! This looks so delicious and beautiful!
I love when salads are topped with fruit! It adds such a bright flavor!
I’ve never been a fan of kale (#shamefaced) but this salad looks healthy and delicious, it just might change my mind 🙂
Wow love the idea of including cherries, I love kale salad so I will have to try it!
Since I found out cherries were anti-inflammatory, I’ve been popping them like candy this summer. Thanks for sharing with Small Victories Sunday Linkup. Pinning to our linkup board and hope you found some great posts to visit this week!
Oh my does this sound good! I just happened to bring back some fresh cherries from vacation so this salad is definitely happening in our household.
Absolutely gorgeous! Cherries are one thing I REALLY try to enjoy while they are in season. It doesn’t last long!
Great recipe, but honestly I don’t have the patience to pit dark cherries.I might do it with pitted ones or else substitute dried cranberries or raisins. How do you think that would be. I love the colors and pinned it to my good food board on Pinterest. Have a lovely week and keep up the good work. Nancy Andres.
I love the look of this salad! It’s a perfect recipe for the end of summer 🙂 Thanks for posting!
The flavors in this sound incredible!! Thank you so much for linking up at Tasty Tuesday! This post has been pinned on the Tasty Tuesday Pinterest board! I love having you and can’t wait to see you next week!
I enjoy salads with a touch of sweetness! What a delight for my taste buds! Thank you so much for sharing these healthy, delicious cherry-kale-salad with us on the Healthy Happy Green and Natural Party Blog Hop. I’m pinning and sharing.
This dressing sounds amazing! I’ve got some cherries in the freezer from earlier this summer and now I know what to do with them. 🙂