Crunchy Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette with a Comforting Soup

With a sweet-tart dressing, this Crunchy Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette is a perfect accompaniment for your favorite soup — like a soothing potato soup. This post is sponsored by Idahoan® Foods.

Going out to eat is one of life’s joys. From the moment you walk in, and are ushered to a table, to the moment you leave, everything is so easy. There’s the menu, filled with appetizers and entrees that sound so good. And there’s the server, who gets everything you need. And then there’s the meal, skillfully prepared — by someone other than me — and served at the perfect temperature, cooked just for you.

I love to cook. I love crafting new recipes that allow you to enjoy big flavors with minimal fuss. And I love the feeling that comes with feeding my family a nutritious and delicious dinner. But sometimes, I just want dinner to be easy (and still delicious and nutritious).

That’s when soup and a salad is the answer. But it can’t be just any soup or salad. It needs to be rich, flavorful and nuanced — like a good home cooked meal or a tasty restaurant meal.

A creamy, flavorful soup like Idahoan Premium Steakhouse® Creamy Potato Soup totally hits the spot and does just that. It has the rich, slow-cooked flavor of restaurant-quality soups but is ready super-fast at home.

Have you tried Idahoan® Premium Steakhouse® Potato Soups? They take just minutes to prepare — just boil water, whisk in the soup packet and then simmer. These hearty soups come in four flavors — Creamy Potato, Loaded Potato, Cheddar Broccoli and Three Cheese Chipotle — and retail for about $2.79 per pouch (each one serves 4).

Try pairing the soup with a good salad. Something that’s a step outside the ordinary. Something with big flavors — like Crunchy Kale Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette. This crunchy salad combines earthy kale with sweet carrots and dried cranberries, meaty pecans and zesty shallots. It’s tossed with a sweet-tart cranberry vinaigrette for a bold, flavorful salad.

Honestly, the combination of Idahoan® Premium Steakhouse Potato Soup and this salad allows you to recreate the steakhouse experience in the comfort of your home, and tastes just as good! Just add fancy napkins, plates and perhaps a signature drink -— pomegranate juice with ginger ale is a favorite ’round these parts. And don’t forget the bread basket -— it’s always a must.

How do you create restaurant experiences at home?

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