Frisée Salad with Avocado Kefir Goddess Dressing

Frisee salad on a blue plate with a gray wood background.

Photo by Jennifer Davick

Prep Time

45 minutes

Number of Servings

Serves 4

Recipe Source

The Kefir Cookbook by Julie Smolyansky ($32.99, HarperOne, 2018)

Ingredients

Onion
- 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
- Juice of 1 lime
- Pinch of kosher salt
Dressing
- ¹⁄₂ cup organic plain whole-milk kefir
- 1 medium avocado, pitted and peeled, divided
- 2 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1 bunch fresh chives
- ¹⁄₂ cup loosely packed fresh tarragon leaves
- 1 bunch fresh parsley (1 inch of stems trimmed and discarded)
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- Sea salt
- ¹⁄₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
To Serve
- 1 head frisée, roughly chopped
- 1 head green or red leaf lettuce, torn into small pieces
- 1 cup radishes, quartered

Directions

Onion
1. Soak onion in lime juice and salt for 30 minutes. Drain and discard liquid.
Dressing
1. In a blender, combine kefir, half of avocado, the lemon juice, chives, tarragon, parsley, garlic, and pinch of sea salt.
2. Purée and, with the blender running, drizzle oil in slowly, until dressing is smooth and has a beautiful dark avocado green color. Taste and add more salt if needed.
To Plate
1. In a large bowl, combine frisée, lettuce, drained onions, and radishes. Add goddess dressing to sides of bowl and mix well. Sea-son with more sea salt if needed.
2. Transfer salad to a large platter and garnish with remaining avocado, sliced.

Nutrition Info

281 Calories, 6 g Protein, 18 g Carbohydrates, 7 g Fiber, 23 g Total fat (4 g sat), 359 mg Sodium, ★★★★★ Vitamin C, K, ★★★★ Vitamin A, ★★★ Vitamin B6, Folate, ★★ Vitamin B2 (riboflavin), E, Iron, ★ Vitamin B1 (thiamine), B3 (niacin), Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Zinc

In 1986, ten years after they emigrated from Kiev, Michael and Ludmila Smolyansky introduced kefir to America. Today their children, Julie and Edward, lead Lifeway Foods, the Smolyansky family company and the top-selling kefir brand in America.

In The Kefir Cookbook, Julie shares her family’s abiding love of kefir through treasured family stories and innovative recipes. A celebration of friendship experienced with her young daughters, these dishes showcase the versatility of this ancient healing food.

While kefir can be drunk straight from the bottle, whipped into smoothies, or used in parfaits and smoothie bowls, Julie reveals in more than 100 recipes how it can also be blended with your favorite comfort foods to add tang, boost creaminess, and elevate their nutritional properties.

Deeply personal, The Kefir Cookbook offers unique spins on classic recipes, while introducing contemporary flavors and textures to inspire you in the kitchen every day.

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Contributor

Julie Smolyansky

Julie Smolyansky became the youngest female CEO of a publicly held firm at 27 when she took over Lifeway Foods in 2002. Founded by her refugee father, the company grew from $12 million in revenue to over $185 million in 2024 under her leadership.

For over 35 years, Julie, a certified rape crisis counselor, has worked to end domestic violence and sexual assault. She produced the Emmy-winning, Oscar-nominated documentary The Hunting Ground and joined 49 survivors at the 2016 Oscars during Lady Gaga’s performance of Til It Happens to You, a song written for the film.