Kale is the new wonder vegetable.  It used to be purely ornamental, used by food stylists to dress up a whole turkey on the quintessential Thanksgiving turkey table but no one ate it. 

     It’s amazing how our tastes evolve.  The best example is lobster.  Before we knew how delicious it was, lobster was used as fertilizer and fish bait and now it is a much-loved luxury.  Kale is in that same category of mis-perception but luckily not so expensive and rare.

     Once you start eating kale, it will become the ‘new normal’ base for your salads.  And, even better, on the nutritional side, kale trumps lettuce every time.  Kale is part of the same family as broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and cabbage and shares both a flavor profile and the good–for-you card.  It is naturally low in calories, full of fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Calcium and Beta-carotene and comes in many varieties.  

     Black kale or Tuscan kale is the best choice for salads. It has soft, flat leaves and is not prickly or curly.  It still needs to be de-stemmed and torn but is not near as tough as curly kale which is a good choice for making kale chips.  Baby kale is the easiest kale to use because all you need to do is wash and dry the tender leaves and finish making the salad.

     In the past few years, kale has been a favored ingredient of chefs and is gaining popularity with home cooks.  You may have tried kale in a “kale Caesar” salad but there are many other ways to dress kale in a salad.  I love adding a touch of sweetness in both the dressing and the salad mix-ins.   This counteracts the slight bitterness of the leaf.  The other key is to dress the kale and let it sit for 5-10 minutes before adding the other salad ingredients.  This will slightly wilt the greens, remove the bitter flavor and make the raw kale easier to eat.  My dressing is similar to Southern coleslaw dressing and I find that it compliments the kale without over-powering it.

     Once the kale is prepped, you can add any of your favorite combinations of salad ingredients.  My favorite combination is dried apricots, pumpkin seeds, grated Manchego cheese and apple slices.  

     The slivered dried apricots add texture, color and a sweet-tartness, the pumpkin seeds add a welcome crunch and a burst of protein to the salad and the grated Manchego cheese adds richness that pairs perfectly with the crisp and refreshing slices of apple.  This is a salad that looks good on the plate and is good for you, but the taste is what will sell you—it is literally craveable! And, when was the last time you made a salad that everyone craved!

Kale Salad with Apples, Apricots and Manchego Cheese

Dressing:

2         tablespoons apple cider vinegar

2         tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice

1/2    cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise

2         tablespoons white sugar

1/2    teaspoon sea salt*, plus more to taste

Salad:

1         bunch Tuscan kale, cleaned, de-stemmed and torn into small pieces, about 1 pound

1/3    cup dried apricots, julienned 

1/3    cup Pumpkin seeds

2         ounces Manchego Cheese, grated

1         Pink Lady apple, cored and sliced very thin in half moon shapes

            Fresh ground black pepper, to taste

Make dressing by combining vinegar, lemon juice, sugar salt and mayonnaise.  Toss Kale with dressing and let sit 5-10 minutes.  Toss again to make sure all the Kale is well coated.  This will wilt and soften the kale.

Sprinkle apricots, pumpkin seeds and cheese over dressed kale.  Toss again to evenly distribute.  Taste for seasoning, adding more salt if necessary and fresh ground pepper if desired. 

 Fan thin slices of apple over top of salad and serve.

ALL RECIPES ©ELIZABETH KARMEL 2020