Chicken Kale and Coconut Salad

I saw an article the other day entitled ” can we just admit that kale tastes like dirt?”. I was mildly offended, I actually really like the taste of kale. Yep, it sure doesn’t taste like chocolate, but its green, it’s good for you, and fortunately it’s becoming easier to get your hands on here in Dubai. People do get caught up in fads, and light up at catch phrases such as ‘superfood’, but hey, if a trend gets you eating more vitamins and minerals, who cares?? And quite frankly, with yummy salad recipes like this one, I might even be able to turn the kale haters around! All hail kale!

Method

First poach the chicken.
Put your chicken in a saucepan so it fits snugly in a single layer. Cover with water, so water level is about 1-2 cm above the chicken. Half cover pot with a lid and bring it to a simmer. As soon as it reaches a simmer, turn the heat right down, so only the occasional bubble comes to surface and poach for 8 minutes.
After 8 minutes, turn the heat off and cover pot fully with lid. Stand for a further 12 minutes. Drain the chicken and leave on a plate to cool. Chop or shred for the salad.
Combine chicken along with all other prepared salad ingredients together in a large serving bowl.
Whisk together the dressing and pour over salad, ensuring everything is coated nicely.

TIP… I only use the softer, frilly part of the kale leaves, tearing them away from the hard stem. The stem can be used for something else, such as in your smoothies, in stocks, soups or casseroles.

Ingredients

  • 500 grams chicken breasts, poached
  • 3-4 large handfuls of chopped kale
  • 1 mango, diced
  • 1 avocado, diced
  • 1/3 cup grated fresh coconut ( you can use desiccated if you can’t find fresh)
  • 1/4 cup macadamia nuts, roughly chopped
  • 3 pinches of dried chilli flakes

For the dressing…

  • 1/3 cup coconut oil, melted
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar