Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Basic Kale Salad

Happy 2013! The health craze season is upon us which is a great time to explore new foods and try new recipes. I've been using my break to reacquaint myself with my old cookbooks and gather new recipes to try.

I so very desperately have wanted to like kale for a long time. Kale in green smoothies, kale chips, kale salad, anything kale. It's trendy, I suppose, with kale recipes popping up all the time. But as a super nutritious green, I'd like to have several go to recipes that taste phenomenal.

I had a great kale salad the other day at Veggie Grill that was so pretty and delicious, so I was inspired to try my hand again. I came across a simple rainbow kale salad in a vegan cookbook I've had for a few years. This recipe is a great stepping point into the world of kale for non-believers, I definitely recommend you give it a go. The key really is to massage the dressing into the kale for at least a minute; this will soften the leaves, giving a better texture and better flavor.

Basic Kale Salad

Basic Kale Salad

Adapted from The 30-Minute Vegan

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch kale, about 10 stalks, stems removed and chopped into bite-sized pieces
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, diced
  • 1 carrot, diced
  • 1/2 small cabbage, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 C roasted nuts, optional
  • 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 clove garlic, pressed
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or agave nectar
  • 1 tsp soy sauce
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

  1. Combine kale, bell pepper, carrot, and cabbage in a large bowl.
  2. Whisk remaining ingredients until emulsified. This will be the salad dressing.
  3. Pour dressing over kale mixture. With clean hands, massage the dressing into the kale mixture for about a minute.

Serve as is as a side salad. Make a complete salad meal by tossing with leftover grains and optional protein.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Sounds yummy. I usually use Kale in soup, a salad would be a lovely change.

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