Freshness on top of a whole wheat flatbread is 100% where it’s at this summer. Get into it with this Grilled Beet Flatbread Salad.

This conversation is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. The opinions and text are all mine.

Oh my goodness, there is so much excitement over this recipe that I can’t really contain myself.

The vibrant colors. The cheese. The homemade flatbread. The balsamic. The candied almonds that are totally not bad for you at all. And the KALE!

It is all so amazing!

I have been eating this in traditional salad form all summer long so far. I’ve talked about it on Periscope. I’ve Instagrammed it. And I’ve definitely been nomming on it.

But here’s the thing. I got really really sick of salads. I love salads a lot, but dang, sometimes I just want to switch it up a bit.

So this time I did. I was so excited to try the new Kale Italia from Earthbound Farm and turn my salad into something over the top. What I love most about this kale is that it’s so much more mild than the big stalks of kale I normally get at the farmer’s market. And with inspiration from the Mediterranean, the baby kale is combined with baby arugula, mizuna (totally new to me!), and radicchio.

Lots of crunch. Lots of mild, sweet, and nutty flavor. I knew this would be a perfect addition to amp up that salad. And there are so many other things I could have done with Earthbound Farm’s amazing organic Kale Italia blend. I could have mixed it into a pasta. I could have sauted it with lentils. I had options and will be exploring them all soon.

But I had my eyes set on this gem!

And the great thing about this flatbread is that it’s so versatile. Of course, you can make a whole meal of it and enjoy about half a flatbread for yourself.

OR (and I’m really a fan of this idea), invite a few friends over, pop a bottle of crisp wine to accompany the summer air, and slice this baby up to share. A couple glasses of wine, lots of laughter, music, and good fresh food. That’s where it’s at this summer!

Grilled Beet Salad Flatbread

Yield: 2 flatbreads, cut into approximately 8-10 pieces

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Ingredients

• 2 whole wheat flatbreads, (check out my whole wheat version here)
• 4 medium beets, , any colors - greens cut off, beets peeled, and sliced about 1/4 inch thick
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil + extra for brushing on flatbread
• salt and pepper
• 4 large handfuls Kale Italia
• 1/4 cup raw almonds, , chopped
• 1 Tablespoon agave
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons feta cheese

Instructions

1. Preheat grill or a cast-iron grill plate over your stove to medium low heat.
2. In a small bowl, toss the sliced beets with olive oil and a few dashes of salt and pepper. Be sure to toss the yellow beets separately from the red beets, so the red color won't bleed onto the yellow. Once grill is to heat, place beets in a single layer and cook slowly until there are nice char-marks, about 8-10 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until the beets are fork-tender.

For Balsamic Reduction:

1. While the beets are cooking, you can start on the balsamic reduction. In a small saucepan, heat the balsamic vinegar until it comes to a rapid boil. Reduce heat to just a simmer, stirring occasionally until the vinegar has reduced to about half it's original amount and is a syrupy consistency. Remove from heat.

For "Candied" Almonds:

1. Place chopped almonds and agave in a small pan on low heat. Stir often and keep a close eye on the almonds. Make sure they are all coated with agave. The agave will become a deep brown color, and as soon as that happens, take it off the heat. Any longer and it will burn, and you do not want that! Put the almonds on a plate and using a fork, separate the individual almonds so they aren't stuck together in one big clump.

For Kale:

1. Place the kale in a large pan over low heat. Sprinkle a few drops of water in the pan and cover to create a steam. Let sit for about 2 minutes just so it can soften a bit. Use tongs to toss the kale around. You want it to wilt just a tiny bit so it still holds its crunch and color but it more pliable.

To assemble:

1. Either microwave the flatbreads or warm over a pan. Brush with a small amount of olive oil. Divide the kale between two flatbreads. Top with beets, candied almonds, and feta. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction. Cut into individual slices.

I hope you don’t get intimidated by the multiple steps in this recipe. They’re all easy and they can all be done while other steps are being done. You got this girl!

If you make this recipe, be sure to snap a picture, upload it to Instagram and tag me (@happyfoodholly) and use the hashtag #inspiredbyholly

Make sure you grab your own container of Kale Italia from Earthbound Farm next time you stop at the store. Hey, I’ve even got a coupon for you that you can grab right here!

Looking for more healthy appetizers and salads?

Mango-Strawberry Summer Guacamole
Vegan Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Grilled Corn & Black Bean Salad

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This conversation is sponsored by Earthbound Farm. The opinions and text are all mine.