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I keep hearing that kale is over, that’s it’s so 15 minutes ago, that its time has come and gone.
Errr, wrong!
It’s still here and going strong!
I brought this fresh kale salad to a Presidents’ Day barbecue, and left with an empty dish and requests for the recipe. Even those who raise a skeptical eyebrow about kale were impressed.
It’s a winner.
Recipe: Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad with Dates, Parmesan and Smoked Almonds
Summary: All the important flavors – sweet, salty, smoky, slightly bitter — are present and balanced in this delicious fresh raw kale salad that is better the longer it sits.
Ingredients
- 2 bunches Lacinato (aka dinosaur or Cavolo Nero or black kale), stems removed
- 10 Brussels sprouts
- Juice and zest of 1 Meyer lemon (about 3 tablespoons juice)
- Juice and zest of 1 tangerine (about 2 tablespoons juice)
- 1/2 shallot, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/3-1/2 cup chopped Blue Diamond smoked almonds
- 10 Medjool dates, pitted and chopped
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Fill a large bowl in the sink with the hottest water that will come out of your tap. Push kale leaves into the water, swish around and walk away while you work on the rest of the recipe.
- Trim stems and damaged outer leaves off Brussels sprouts and shred them or chiffonade cut them. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk lemon and tangerine juice, shallot, honey, salt and pepper.
- Swish kale again and remove kale from the hot water (leaves will be bright green), shake off and dry well with a tea towel or spin dry in a salad spinner. Lay kale leaves (they will look like strips) onto a cutting board and cut thinly in a chiffonade cut (very fine slices, like a shred). Add to bowl with dressing. Add shredded Brussels sprouts to bowl with kale. Toss using your hands, or 2 big spoons, to make sure dressing coats all the leaves.
- Let salad sit for at least 1 hour (can be left out at room temperature). Mix in olive oil.
- If you are making the salad ahead of time, at this point you may even let it sit for the whole day, covered in the refrigerator. The kale and sprouts can stand up to it.
- When you are ready to serve, mix in the almonds, dates and cheese.
- Serves 6-8.
Source
Adapted from this kale salad.
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Waiting time: 1 hours
Diet type: Vegetarian
Diet tags: Gluten free, Raw
Number of servings (yield): 6-8
Culinary tradition: USA (Nouveau)
My rating
What are YOUR favorite add-ins to kale salad?
Disclosure: Blue Diamond sent the almonds in conjunction with the Olympics. They are supporting the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
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At ShockD, you’ll find scrumptious, tried & true, "scary good" recipes, tips and coaching to make YOU a fabulous home cook! Don't blame me if you need a 12-step program to wean yourself away!
E-mail me: Dorothy.Reinhold@gmail.com
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I would love to eat this for lunch!
I love those little bursts of dates in there!
So super excited to try this! Love the kale and brussels sprout combo!!
Dates and smoked almond must gave to this salad a very unique flavor. Dorothy I would like to inform you that you have won the giveaway in my blog. Please check it out and email me your mailing address so i can send you the book! Congratulations!
Katerina,
Thank YOU! I just saw that on your blog and sent you a message!
I keeping hearing the same and yet I keep using it. Good for you foods don’t need to be trending for me too keep eating them. I love the flavors you’ve got in here, and love that you have added Brussels. I love them.
Michelle,
Kale is not over, by a long shot!
Beautiful and delicious looking! The Parmesan is such a great enhancement to this!
Platter,
Parm makes EVERYTHING better!
The fad may be over but the good eating certainly isn’t. Love the way you combine kale and Brussels sprouts. This is a salad I really must try.
Susan,
This one is right up your alley.
Dorothy – Like you, I’m definitely not over kale. Especially when it’s in a citrus-laden salad. this looks wonderful and the smoky almonds and dates are such a great addition to the standard kale-and-citrus combination.
Laura,
We are two peas in a pod!
Wow – this sounds so good. I love sprouts!
Thanks Kate!
This sounds delicious! I love Kale for a salad, and I learned that if you toss it with some olive oil at least an hour before finishing the salad, it softens in texture a bit without getting soggy, as lettuce would. Your recipe has the kind of flavor profile that I love! Thanks!
Susan
Susan,
Yep! There are a coupla ways to tame kale: (1) chop it very finely (chiffonade) (2) massage it by hand for 5-ish minutes (3) put the dressing on and let it sit for a good long while and let time do the work for you!
Another award winning kale recipe! You are going to make a kale lover out of me yet. I have kale sitting in my refrigerator just begging for this recipe.
Cathy,
This is the one!
I’m eating kale salad myself this week. No, not over – and Brussels sprouts seemed to be the “it” vegetable at restaurants I dined at there last week.
Gisele,
So glad I have some support for kale not being “over.” It ain’t over, folks!
I guess you’ve proven that so 15 minutes ago means “retro cool” to these kids today. GREG
Greg,
Yeah, you and me…teachin’ and preachin’
I’m with you – long live Kale! All greens for that matter. As long as you keep creating fantastic recipes like this one we’ll keep eating our greens. Thanks!
Thank you, Nancy!
Hi Dorothy. I love everything about this salad and I’m proud to announce we just had a Trader Joes open up in Denver and they have bags of shredded Brussels sprouts and I’m dying to do something with them. Thanks for sharing this timely recipe.
Lea Ann,
You are going to have such fun at your new TJs. It’s a great store!
Love your prep on the kale. I will bet Marcona almonds would be delicious here…
Liz,
Marcona almonds would be good on dirt!
Kale is definitely not over in San Francisco – and I’m okay with that!
Shikha,
Me too! Long live kale!
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