thai peanut kale salad

My GOD, this salad is amazing.  I made it a week ago and ate it for lunch and dinner until it was gone.    When I find something I love, I pretty much eat it non-stop.  I go through phases with certain foods, eat them for a month straight, get sick of them, and switch to something else.  This salad is on the current favorite food rotation.

I got the idea for this delicious salad from this recipe post and created something similar based on my favorite "thai" ingredients.

I eat kale a lot and am really starting to like it.  At first I just ate it because I was supposed to, but now I love having it as a staple in my diet.  If you are a kale hater, this recipe does a great job of fooling anyone into eating kale.  It's sweet and peanut-ey and perfect. 

thai peanut kale salad {makes about four servings}
-1 large bowl of kale, chopped thin {I used one large bunch, removed the tick stems and thinly chopped}
-1 cup of shredded carrots {I bought pre-shredded}
-1 cup of shelled edamame beans {I bought frozen and steamed them}
-Add any other veggies you love....thinly sliced bell peppers and cucumbers would be amazing.    Maybe even some scallions or thinly sliced red cabbage.   Note, if you up the amount of veggies by a lot, you will want to double the dressing recipe.  The recipe below is really only enough for the kale, carrots, and edamame.

peanut dressing
-2 heaping spoonfuls of creamy all natural peanut butter {about 1/4 cup}
-1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
-the juice from two limes
-2 tablespoons honey
-freshly grated ginger - about a tablespoon
-1 clove of garlic, crushed
-1 1/2 tablespoon of low sodium soy sauce

1. Put your veggies in a bowl and set aside.
2. Measure out the peanut butter in a seperate small bowl and microwave for about 20 seconds, just until it's easy to stir.  Whisk in the rest of the dressing ingredients and taste.  If it needs more salt, throw in a dash more of soy sauce.  If it is too bitter, an extra squeeze of honey.
3. Pour the dressing over the veggies and toss to coat.  Eat right away or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

I have been eating this salad with my favorite Trader Joe's potstickers.  It is the perfect, healthy, and quick lunch or dinner.