Chopped Kale Salad
Where my kale lovers at?
Shout out to Angela from Oh She Glows, because I don’t know what my life would be like without this salad in it. Dramatic? Yes, but hands down, this is the greatest kale salad I have ever had. It is my go-to to bring for potluck dinners or to make for weekly meal preps. This salad has a superpower, and that superpower is turning people into kale lovers. The most common response I get from people who try it, is “Wow, I thought I hated kale!”. A couple secrets to prepping kale so that it actually tastes good? Cut it small, massage with lemon, and use a lemon based dressing - the added parmesan pecans don’t hurt either.
Oh She Glows Chopped Kale Salad
Prep time: 30 minutes Cook time: 10 minutes yield: 4 servings
ingredients
For the salad and dressing
2 medium bunches destemmed kale (curly or dinosaur), finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh lemon juice
3 to 4 tablespoons (45 to 60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil, to taste
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (just eyeball it)
1 tsp maple syrup (or to taste)
1/4 to 1/2 cup (35 to 70 g) dried sweetened cranberries, for garnish
For the Parmesan Pecans
1 cup pecan halves
1 clove garlic, grated on microplane
4 teaspoons nutritional yeast
41/2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 pinches fine sea salt
method
Preheat the oven to 300°F.
Chop pecans roughly and spread onto a baking sheet to toast in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.
While pecans are roasting, combine grated garlic, nutritional yeast and olive oil in a bowl. Add pecans when they’re done. Leave to cool
Remove the stems from the kale. Finely chop the kale leaves (the smaller, the better).
Wash and dry the kale, and massage, or scrunch, with juice from one lemon.
For the dressing: add garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, maple syrup to a blender or food processor. blend until smooth and add salt and pepper.
Dress the salad, and mix thoroughly to ensure kale is evenly coating in dressing.
Sprinkle the Pecan Parmesan all over the salad. Toss on a handful or two of dried cranberries.