Kale salad cooked with a straightforward lemon vinaigrette is simple, healthful, and energizing. It is the ideal side dish for any meal or quick lunch that you can prepare in advance! For your holiday meal, it also makes a fantastic salad.
This kale salad in particular is one of our favorites since it is a flavor and texture explosion! It has varied textures from massaged soft kale with crisp carrots, sunflower seeds, and chewy cranberries, and it is simultaneously sweet, savory, and acidic.
If you make this kale salad recipe, you'll want to keep it on hand because it's so easy to make, delicious, and nutritious. Check out my recipe for kale chips, which I like cooking every time I purchase a bag of fresh kale.
Kale Salad Ingredients
- 6 cups kale washed and chopped
- ½ cup shallot finely diced
- ½ cup carrot grated
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
For The Lemon Vinaigrette
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
How To Massage Kale
- Kale's tough leaves must be massaged in order to soften and wilt them. After washing and drying the kale, cut the stiff stems off and rough chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Add to a sizable bowl along with a dash of salt and some olive oil. Then, for about three minutes, massage the kale leaves with clean hands.
- The kale leaves will become more pliable as a result, becoming velvety, silky, and olive oil-infused salad greens. The kale's color will darken, but that's okay. The salt will also enhance the flavor of the kale leaves. For even more flavor, you may also add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.
- Simply substitute freshly squeezed lemon juice for the oil if you're avoiding it. The process is the same.
How To Make Kale Salad With A Simple Lemon Vinaigrette
- Make the lemon vinaigrette first. Combine olive oil, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper in a medium jar or bowl. If using a bowl, whisk until the vinaigrette is emulsified and everything is thoroughly blended. Simply shake the jar for a minute if using one.
- You may see me using this salad dressing shaker in my photos and videos. It's ideal for many types of dressings and makes shaking and storing the dressing so simple and enjoyable, which is why I adore it so much. You can totally use a jar instead, so you don't really "need" it, but it's still great to have.
- To assemble the salad, mix the massaged kale with the shredded carrot, chopped shallot, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds in a bowl. Dress the salad with the lemon vinaigrette after tossing it until everything is well distributed.
Meal Prep And Storing
- Making this salad ahead of time is ideal! I adore making it on the weekend to enjoy throughout the week. It keeps so well in storage, and the flavors stay the same.
- Separately store. If you'd like, you may keep the vinaigrette in a different jar and store the salad in an airtight container. Prior to serving, dress the salad.
- Fridge. For up to four days, keep in the refrigerator.
Kale Salad Variations
- Add your preferred cheese to the salad; I like feta or goat cheese that has been crumbled, but cubed cheddar also works well in this situation. Or just a light sprinkling of parmesan cheese.
- Add cooked chicken, steak, shrimp, tofu, or boiled beans for more protein.
- Add fresh avocado, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, cucumber, and radishes to the list of vegetables.
- Nuts: Although this recipe is nut-free, adding roasted walnuts, pecans, or almonds will give it a wonderful flavor and crunch.
- Dressing: Lemon vinaigrette is my personal favorite dressing to serve with this salad, but you can also go for something fancier like a raspberry vinaigrette or even a Caesar dressing.
- Add cooked brown rice, quinoa, barley, or farro to the list of grains.
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