The holiday season is here, bringing an avalanche of cookies, cocktails, hot chocolates, and all your favorite comfort foods. But don’t worry—you can still indulge guilt-free with a dish that’s as wholesome as it is delicious. Enter: my Persimmon Brown Rice Kale Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing!

This vibrant, seasonal salad is a breeze to whip up, packed with flavors that will brighten any holiday spread. Whether you serve it as a hearty meal or a standout side dish, it’s the perfect balance of nourishing and satisfying. And that dressing? It’s so good you’ll want to make extra—it’s amazing on roasted veggies, meats, and even pasta!

Treat yourself to this festive salad and enjoy every holiday indulgence with a little extra peace of mind. Ready to dig in? Let’s get cooking!

Persimmon Brown Rice Kale Salad with Lemon Tarragon Dressing

Ingredients

2 bunches of Kale, stalks removed and chopped

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup Castor River Farms Brown Rice, cooked

2 fresh persimmons, chopped or sliced

3/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup almond slivers 

8 ounces prosciutto, torn into pieces

Dressing

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons honey

1 garlic clove

1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, rough chopped

1 tablespoon fresh chives, rough chopped

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

1. In a large salad bowl add the chopped kale and lemon juice. Using clean hands gently message the kale with the lemon juice for about 1-2 minutes. This helps to make the kale softer and not so tough.
2. Then add the brown rice, persimmons, feta, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and prosciutto. Toss well to combine.
3. Make the dressing by add the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, tarragon, chives, salt and pepper to the bowl of a blender. Blend on low to medium speed until everything is combined but the herbs are still visible and in small pieces. Adjust the salt and pepper to taste if needed.
4. Once the dressing is blended add half of the dressing to the salad, then toss to combine. Add more dressing to your liking if needed, or store the extra dressing in a sealed container in the refrigerator. This dressing is great over vegetables too!
5. Then serve and enjoy!