Kale Salad with Roasted Pecans

Prepare the balsamic vinaigrette by putting all ingredients into a bowl and whisking together until the oil and vinegar do not separate and the dressing appears creamy. You can also put the ingredients in a blender and blend. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Remove the kale leaves from their stems and either discard the stems, chop them to add to the salad or save them for a green smoothie.

Give the kale leaves a rough chop and put them in a large salad bowl.
Squeeze the lemon over the leaves (about 1 tablespoons of lemon juice).

Massage the kale leaves with both of your hands for 30 seconds or so. Allow kale leaves to sit in the lemon juice for around 10 minutes. This helps soften the leaves and break down some of the tough fiber.

While the kale leaves are sitting, prep the apple and pear as detailed in the above list.

Spread the pecans on out on a cookie sheet and roast them at 350 F for 5 to 10 minutes until they get some color and they are fragrant. Be careful not to leave them unattended as they burn easily!

Add the shredded apple, sliced pear and roasted pecans to the salad bowl with the kale leaves. Toss the salad with desired amount of balsamic vinaigrette and sprinkle with cheese!