My Everyday Kale Side Salad

5 from 2 votes

My Everyday Kale Side Salad

Recipe video above. This is how I make a kale side salad on a Monday night after a long day at work. It’s virtuous and lazy - no chopping, no separate dressing - but makes kale enjoyable to eat, thanks to the oil-and-scrunch technique that softens the chewy leaves without loads of oil-heavy dressing.

It goes with "everything", and keeps for 2 days in the fridge - useful! Make it once with the recipe, then just eyeball it and use it as a base for your own additions - apple, red onion, cranberries, bacon, whatever takes your fancy. NOTE: This is probably not the salad to convert kale haters. It's a little too simple, I feel :)

Prep Time7

Marinating to soften leaves (don't skip this)30

Total Time37

Course: Side Salad

Cuisine: Western

Keyword: easy kale salad, kale side salad

Servings: - 5 as a side salad

Calories: 112cal

Author: Nagi

Ingredients

4 tightly packed cups (180 g) kale leaves from 4 to 5 big kale stems - strip leaves from stem, torn into bite size pieces using hands (Note 1)
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil , use your good stuff
2 tsp fresh lemon juice , or apple cider vinegar (Note 2)
1/4 tsp heaped cooking salt / kosher salt
2 pinches black pepper
1/4 cup flaked almonds , toasted (if you can muster the energy) - or other nuts/seeds (Note 3)
20g/ 1.2 oz parmesan , finely grated (small thumb-size piece, 2 1/2 tbsp very tightly packed once grated)

Instructions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE

Massage 1 tbsp oil, salt and pepper into kale, leave 30 min. Toss with remaining oil + lemon, then half almonds and parmesan. Serve, garnished with remaining almonds and parmesan.

FULL RECIPE

Scrunch and massage - In a large bowl, drizzle kale leaves with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Scrunch handfuls of the kale leaves, massaging as you go to coat all the leaves with the oil - about 20 seconds.
Leave 30 minutes (don't skip this!) - Leave on the counter for 30 minutes to let the kale marinate. The chewy leaves will soften and the oil and salt will meld into the leaves.
Toss - Drizzle with remaining oil and all the lemon juice. Toss. Add half the almonds and parmesan. Toss.
Serve - Tumble into serving bowl. Top with remaining almonds and parmesan, then serve! Keeps 2 days in the fridge.

Notes

1. Kale - I use curly kale, feel free to use cavolo nero if you prefer (Tuscan kale / lacinato kale). Kale is quite chewy when raw - chewier than pleasant - and the scrunching/30 minute marinade is what softens it.

2. Lemon - Add a bit of lemon zest when rubbing the oil into the kale leaves, for extra lemon flavour. If you don't have fresh lemon, use apple cider vinegar instead but don't drizzle, rub it into the leaves along with the olive oil.

3. Flaked almonds - I may or may not skip toasting, depending on how my day is going! But to toast, use a small pan with no oil, heat on medium then toss almonds for 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from pan immediately. Other nuts - slivered almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, roughly chopped walnuts, pecans or cashews.

4. Parmesan - I may to may not reach for the pre-grated tub at times, for convenience! If you don't have parmesan, use shredded cheddar or other cheese, or something else crunchy and salty - crispy fried shallots, Changs Crispy Fried Noodles, pangrattato.

Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge (kale is fabulously hardy stuff!).

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.

Nutrition