Raw Kale Salad with Goat Cheese
Take advantage of tender Russian Kale leaves for an easy summer salad
Ingredients
bunch of Russian Kale - green curly or lacinato also work well
1/4 cup your favorite olive oil
2 tablespoons vinegar - apple cider or rice wine are favorites
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon coarse mustard
1/4-1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 clove garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup toasted nuts - almonds, walnuts or sunflower seeds are excellent
4 ounces soft goat cheese
Optional add ons - fresh crisp apple or pear, chopped
Method
Combine oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in a large bowl and whisk to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic and red onion, stir to coat and let stand 5 minutes while you prepare the kale.
After washing the kale, shake to dry. Use your fingers to strip the leaves from the stem - hold the stem in one hand firmly and then use the forefinger and thumb of your other hand to draw along the stem. Start at the base of the leaf and pull toward the tip, away from the base of the stem. You will remove most, but not all of the stem; the finer end of the stem is tender, so don’t sweat it.
Once all leaves are stripped, stack up half the leaves on top of each other. Fold this in half lengthways and then roll up like a sleeping bag. Slice the roll in half across the roll and then slice the two halves into bite-size strips. You can go larger or smaller at this stage depending on your personal preference.
Massage the kale with your hands for about a minute and then add to bowl with dressing. Toss by hand to fully coat the greens with the dressing. Let stand a few minutes to marry flavors.
Top with goat cheese and toasted nuts to serve. Accompany this with crusty bread for a quick side salad for lunch or dinner - or breakfast for that matter.
Save your stems
We didn’t include the stems in this recipe but they have a home in many others. Chop the stems to a medium dice and add to any saute or stir fry whenever you’re adding onion. Incorporating kale stems adds not only nutrition but also a delciously earthy undercurrent that supports without overwhelming other flavors.