Festive Kale & Goji Salad with Lemon Dressing

Here is my new colorful creation – Festive Kale & Goji Salad with Lemon Dressing for your 2020 Holiday season!

This salad will surely whet your guests’ appetite in anticipation of your main course.  It features delicate, vermillion-colored goji berries. These miniature berries render a light sweetness to contrast the tang of fresh cranberries and are complemented color-wise by slices of crunchy red & yellow apple. Nestled on a bed of kale, goji berries along with cranberries, apple slices and lemon dressing, set the festive mood.

Adorned with shavings of a hard, sheep’s milk Pecorino Romano cheese, toasted almond slices, and chewy wheat berries, you have a mélange of flavors and textures. Voilà! Enjoy this new Festive Kale & Goji Salad with Lemon Dressing. Happy Holidays to all my loyal followers!  

Where to Buy Goji Berries?

Goji berries are also known as Lycium barbarum and are native to Asia. They are widely available for purchase in health food stores and also in some grocery stores, in both dried and fresh forms. In fact, for this recipe, I purchased organic goji berries from a regular grocery store, Fortinos.

Health Benefits of Goji Berries

I found many interesting facts about goji berries here.

“The scientific community has been investigating the health benefits of goji berries, as the popularity of these tiny fruits has grown. Their purported benefits range from anti-aging effects to glucose regulation and immune function support. Modern science is investigating these claims, and researchers have backed many of them.”

To sum up, here are some possible benefits of goji berries (the supporting scientific evidence can be found in the linked article):

– protect against age-related eye diseases

– contain large amounts of vitamins A and C, similarly to blueberries and raspberries, which are vital for building immunity 

– protect against cancer

– promote healthy skin

– stabilize blood sugar

– reduce depression, anxiety, and sleep

– Goji berries have been used to treat liver disease in traditional Chinese medicine

Wheat Berries

Wheat berries are whole, unprocessed wheat kernels in their most natural form. They are extremely nutritious, have sweet & nutty taste and chewy texture. In fact, wheat berries offer all of the nutrients of a whole grain because they contain the germ, endosperm and bran.

You can purchase wheat berries at health food stores or health sections of general grocery stores.

Pecorino Romano Cheese

In this recipe, I am using Pecorino Romano, an Italian cheese produced from sheep’s milk. Actually, my choice of cheese was based on 2 factors – easy to shave and intense flavor. Pecorino Romano possesses a sharp bitter flavor and has a zesty and saltier bite that adds a piquant touch to your salad.

However, other good choices would be Parmigiano, Grana Padano or aged Gouda. They are all great choices when you want cheese shavings.

To shave cheese, use a vegetable peeler or a paring knife.

In addition, to make this salad vegetarian/vegan, substitute vegetarian-friendly cheese or vegan “Parmesan” cheese for Pecorino Romano cheese.

Need more ideas for holiday salads? Check these out.

Bulgur Salad with Grapefruit & Cherries

Pear & Gorgonzola Salad with Arugula and Pomegranate

Nutrition information is estimated. It is calculated using an online nutrition calculator based on recipe ingredients as inputs. Accuracy is dependent on the calculator. It is not intended as a professional nutritionist’s advice.