This healthful and delicious salad makes use of two staples of my west coast hippy childhood (granola and nutritional yeast). This might be the most hippy recipe I’ve ever posted, but please trust me that it tastes amazing. It’s inspired by a wonderful meal that my mother and I had at Treetops Tapas & Grill on Vanvouver Island after floating in the mineral baths at the Grotto Spa. They serve a seasonal chef’s menu made with beautiful local ingredients. The whole meal was spectacular, but I was especially inspired by the salad course which featured kale dressed in Nutritional yeast vinaigrette (Nooch for short) topped with granola and served on a peach and ginger compote. I spent the rest of my vacation visiting my mother on Gabriola Island and perfecting my own version of this salad to make at home.

I happen to make what I consider to be the best granola in the world, but for the granola to top this salad I took inspiration from my mother’s dear friend Darla. She seasons her homemade granola with a mix for making spiced golden milk that is made locally on Gabriola Island. The spice mix includes some unusual flavors such as turmeric and black pepper that are really fantastic. I’ve included the recipe for spiced granola below.

Over the summer, I liked the salad best with perfectly ripe, raw peaches (no need to make a compote). Recently though, I tried it with mango and that might be even better! To complete the west coast nostalgia, I like to serve this salad with roasted wild caught salmon.

If you are hesitant to buy nutritional yeast for this recipe, know that you will end up making more of this vinaigrette. Also, nutritional yeast is a great topping for popcorn, ask anyone who was a child of health minded parents in the 70’s.

Spiced Granola

This can be made in advance and keeps well in a sealed container. It will make way more than you need for one salad, but it’s the most delicious granola, so it won’t be a problem.

• 3 cups oats
• 1 and 1/2 cups pecan, walnuts or almond, roughly chopped
• 1 cup dry coconut flakes or shreds (unsweetened)
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/2 cup sesame seeds
• 1 cup pepitas
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dry fennel seed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground dry tumeric
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground anise
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
•  3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup dried mango or apricot, diced

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. On a very large baking sheet, use your hands to thoroughly mix all of the dry ingredients except the dried fruit together.  Whisk the oil and maple syrup together and then add it to the dry ingredients using your hand to moisten everything.
3.   Spread the mixture out evenly and  bake for 25 minutes at 350.  Stir in the dried fruit and redistribute all of the granola in the pan
4. Bake for another 5minutes and then stir again. Bake for another 10 minutes if needed, but keep an eye on it. The nuts and oats should be toasted, but you do not want the sugar to burn. 
5. Allow the granola to cool completely before storing in a sealed container.

Nooch Vinaigrette

This can be made in advance and keeps well in a sealed container in the fridge. This recipe makes enough for multiple salads.

• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/4 cup sherry or champagne vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Tamari or Shiro miso
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
• 1 Tablespoon maple syrup
• 1/2 inch knob of fresh ginger, minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

Whisk all of it together. It will keep in the fridge for at least a week.

Finishing the Salad

• 2 bunches of curly Kale
• Nooch Vinaigrette (recipe above)
• 1 mango or 2 peaches or 4 apricots diced (whatever fruit you use, it must be perfectly ripe)
• Spiced Mango Granola (recipe above)

1. Wash and dry the kale, remove the stems from the kale and chop it.
2. In a large bowl, massage the Nooch vinaigrette into the chopped kale until the kale softens a bit.
3. Top with ripe, raw fruit and granola.