Mandarin Orange Cranberry Kale Salad with Candied Pecans

Don’t get me wrong…I love holiday treats, candy, and bread, but sometimes I just CRAVE a healthy and fresh salad. This looks amazing!

haha.. I’m with ya Amy!

I love the changes you made. I’ve been using raw kale more often massage with lemon juice — it breaks down a bit but as you said, the salad also lasts longer. This would be so smart for a Thanksgiving buffet!

Ohh.. I’ll have to try lemon juice instead of the salt.

Oh my goodness!! This salad is amaaazing! I can’t wait to try it!

Thank you so much Katerina! You’ll seriously fall in love! It’s so good!

I have no idea how October flew by so quickly! I can barely believe that it’s almost November. Kale salads are one of my favorites, and this one is so pretty.

I know right! Seriously so crazy to me! And it happens every year! Kale salads are my favorite too, I love how kale doesn’t wilt after a couple hours!

This is a great looking salad. I have been craving salads lately so I will be pinning to make this soon!

Hurray! Hope you like you girl!

This salad is SO pretty. Love all the flavors!

Thank you so much Maryanne!

Would pomegranate seeds be a good replacement for the dried cranberries

Sure, those would be great Lynne!

Kale is a favorite of mine, and I love how bright and colorful this salad is!

Thank you so much Dee!

A simple KALE SALAD filled with mandarin oranges, tart cranberries and candied pecans for the perfect bite! I guarantee this salad will win over any kale hater and become a staple at your house!

Um… guys. Do you realize that next week it NOVEMBER! When did that happen!?

I’m so confused. I mean I love the weather this time of year but I feel like this year flew by. Time flies when your …. (fill in the blank).

I guess the good thing is, that means I get to start pumping out holiday recipes and all things for you to put on your dinner table this time of year.

Cuz … um thanksgiving is less than a month away and Christmas is less than 2 months! Eekk! I better get to it on the Christmas shopping front!

This year we’re going to Ecuador over Christmas to spend time with Mike’s brother and sister in law. They are in Cuenca working as missionaries and we couldn’t be more excited to see what they have been up to and just have fun together, we may even go to the jungle! Plus, Cason cannot wait to spend time with his two cousins! They’re going to tear up the town!

Any who, back to the recipe front. This Mandarin Orange Kale Salad is the first of many holiday recipes.

Around the holidays when I was growing up my mom use to make a Spinach Salad with mandarin oranges, cranberries, candied almonds, and this killer dressing that you’d want to drink straight from the bottle. I absolutely adored this salad and actually still make it all the time now.

This Kale Salad is a take on the salad I had growing up. So I KNOW you’re gonna love it!

Instead of spinach I added kale, which in my opinion helps this salad keep for longer because kale is a lot sturdier than spinach … which wilts on the dressing pressure. Then I added in some radicchio, partly for color … because we eat with our eyes … but also to add a little bitter bite to the salad.

I swapped out the almonds for pecans, and changed up the cooking process so it’s a little faster to make. The dressing … even though I did LOVE it …. I changed (mainly because it was loaded with sugar). But this dressing is still as good in my opinion, possibly even better. It is sweet, tangy, and spicy.

This salad could definitely be made a day ahead, I’d just recommend not adding the pecans till the last minute or they’ll get soggy.

All in all … if you’re not sure about raw kale yet this is definitely a great place to start. I guarantee it will turn even the pickiest of eaters into a lover! There are so many bold bursting flavors going on in this dish that it will be the perfect compliment to any main dish, especially a certain turkey dish that you have on a particular day of the month. Ahem .. ahemm… Gobble gobble.

Give this salad a try and then come back and tell me how much you love it!

Bon Appetit friends!

IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, BE SURE TO SNAP A PIC AND HASHTAG IT #JOYFULHEALTHYEATS. I LOVE SEEING WHAT YOU MAKE!

Want More Holiday Side Dish Recipes?

Garlic Herb Smashed Potatoes

Harvest Roasted Butternut Squash Quinoa Salad

Creamy Goat Cheese Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

DON’T MISS A RECIPE ->

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