Sweet n' Sour Apple Kale Salad

I have a confession - I'm not your archetypal nutritionist. I don't really like kale! Isn't that usually animal fodder? Then someone told me it tasted nice in salad so I had a play around with it and came up with this. Like this, I really enjoy it. I think it tastes better than cooked kale because the dressing soaks in and gives it a really nice flavour. Real maple syrup is pricey, but it is easy to mix into a dressing because it is easy to pour. You could use raw honey which is prebiotic and good for the gut instead, though it's trickier to bind. ​

You'll need:

• Half a bag of fresh kale, washed, hard stems torn off and leaves finely shredded. (About 100g or 2 American cups' worth). You could massage the leaves slightly - this makes them less wooden to eat.

• 1 apple, cored and cut into small pieces

• 1 avocado, peeled, stoned and cut into small pieces

• 1 tbsp fresh pomegranate seeds

• For the dressing:

• 4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 1 tbsp maple syrup

• Half a small red onion, finely chopped

• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

• Half a tsp sea salt

To make:

1. Assemble all the plants in a salad bowl.

2. In a jar, combine the dressing ingredients (putting the red onion in this mixture imparts more flavour in the dressing and helps to emulsify the dressing).

3. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss thoroughly, so the leaves really soak up the dressing, and serve