Have you ever had a food you craved for weeks after tasting it for the first time? A couple weeks ago we went out to lunch to celebrate our nutrition intern’s last few weeks and starting her official dietetic internship. Trying to be healthy and all, we went to a great salad restaurant called Vinaigrette. They do mainly entree type salads with a few sandwich options. This time around I spotted a kale salad that sounded delicious and it turned out to be one of the best salads I’ve ever eaten. I snapped a photo of the menu description and decided to try and remake it at home later. 

  
I’m not going to gloat too much, but it turned out pretty darn close to the original. 

La Pepita Salad Remake

Makes 6 generous portions 

1 large bunch of kale finely chopped

1 1/2 or 2 cans of black beans, rinsed (dependng how much you like black beans)

1 pound chicken, cooked and shredded (I used the crock pot)

3-4 oz of Cotija cheese, crumbled

1 1/2 avocados, chopped

6 T roasted pepitas (pumpkin seeds), or as desired

Lemon Cumin Vinaigrette (recipe below)

Toss kale, beans, shredded chicken, cheese, avocados and vinaigrette in a large bowl. Use tongs to portion out salad onto plates or large bowls. Top with 1T pepitas for each serving or more if you’re really looking for some crunch.  

  
Lemon Cumin Vinaigrette  

3 T fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/3 cup olive oil

You can whisk everything together, but I like to mix salad dressings in a mason jar and shake until fully emulsified. Quick, easy, and ready to use. 

 
I was so obsessed with this salad I brought it to work every day for lunch for a week! Since it’s using kale, the salad will hold up for a full work week if you don’t add in the chicken or dressing until the day you’re going to eat it. 

Do delicious and packed full of nutrients. A dietian’s perfect food. 

Enjoy!