Kale Harvest Salad
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Kale is among the most nutrient-dense veggies around. And because of its celebrity status for the last several years, it's pretty widely available.
But what do we do with it?
It's tough, somewhat bitter, and at first glance, may seem a bit too potent for a salad. But with the right preparation and partner ingredients, a kale salad is a perfect meal.
Three Tips for Prepping the Best Kale Salad
Ditch the stems.
When prepping kale, I always cut the leaves from the stem. I’ll either compost the stems, feed them to the chickens, or pop them in the freezer to use in stock later, but I find them just too tough for salad.
Slice the leaves as thinly as possible.
My second tip for a perfect kale salad is to take a few extra minutes and really slice those leaves. I like to stack the leaves as tidily as I can, roll them into a cigar shape—or chiffonade, if we want to get all culinary and proper about it—and cut them about 1/4 inch thick.
The thinner the cut, the more tender the chew. And let’s face it—as much as I love kale, it IS tough.
Always macerate in advance.
Time and convenience don’t always allow for this, but when they do, I absolutely toss the kale with the dressing about 30 minutes before I assemble the entire salad.
This little soak allows the acid in the dressing to break down and tenderize the kale a bit, If the salad contains any other tough vegetables (like the red cabbage in this recipe), I’ll toss them in as well.
Kale Harvest Salad with Honey-Dijon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
For the salad:
1 bunch kale, de-stemmed and very thinly sliced
1/2 small red cabbage, very thinly sliced
1 apple, cut in matchsticks
1 cup raisins
1 cup pecans
lemon juice to prevent apples from browning (optional)
For the dressing:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
Preparation
Destem the kale, composting or reserving the stems for stock, and slice the kale into thin strips
Using a large knife or mandolin, shave the red cabbage as thinly as possible.
Cut the apple into matchsticks. Toss in lemon juice if desired to prevent browning.
Mix dressing in a jar, shaking or stirring vigorously to ensure all ingredients are fully incorporated.
If time allows, toss the kale and cabbage with the dressing about 30 minutes ahead of time to give the acid in the dressing a chance to break down some of the toughness of the veg.
When ready to serve, toss all ingredients together and enjoy.
For serving with kiddos
When serving salad to children, I like to arrange a composed salad or a build-your-own salad rather than a pre-tossed salad. That way, the kids can pick and choose what they want to eat plenty of and what they want to try.
