Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad Recipe
Raw kale salads are wonderful, in part because the greens are so sturdy the leftovers keep well. It’s great if you pack your lunch for work or need something that will travel well to a potluck. For this recipe you’ll want to use lacinato, or Tuscan, kale, which is more tender than curly kale. If eating a raw kale salad sounds daunting, substitute half the kale with romaine lettuce to soften the texture.
This combination works well, but you could use whatever beans, dried fruit or nuts you have on hand. This Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad recipe’s purpose is simply to encourage you to try kale as a lettuce alternative. You can add a chopped hard-boiled egg or other leftover protein to make the salad more filling if you wish. Be sure to chop everything into small pieces, as the beauty of a chopped salad is that you get a bit of everything in each bite.
Parmesan Vinaigrette
• 1 small shallot, chopped
• Juice of 1 Meyer lemon
• 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
Salad
• 2 slices rustic whole-grain bread, torn into bite-size pieces
• 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Sea salt
• 1 bunch lacinato (Tuscan) kale
• 1 apple such as Braeburn, Gala or Pink Lady, cored and diced
• 1 cup cooked chickpeas, chopped
• 1/2 cup toasted pecans, coarsely chopped
• 1/3 cup dried cherries, chopped
1. To make vinaigrette, combine shallot, lemon juice, Parmesan and olive oil in a blender or food processor. Process until smooth, then add a pinch of salt and pepper and give one last pulse. Set aside.
2. To make croutons, toss bread with olive oil and salt. Toast in a toaster oven or in a sauté pan over medium heat until crispy, about 10 minutes.
3. To assemble salad, cut tough stems out of kale and finely chop leaves. Put chopped kale in a large bowl.
4. Add apple, chickpeas, pecans and cherries to kale.
5. Add half of dressing and toss. Taste and add more if you like.
6. Divide among four salad plates and garnish each with crispy croutons immediately before serving. Tuscan Kale Chopped Salad serves 4.
Recipe reprinted with permission from The Sprouted Kitchen by Sara Forte, copyright 2012. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House.
For more on the anti-aging health benefits of kale, read the original article, Naturally Young: Anti-Aging Foods and Herbs.
