Kale, checked; apple, checked; cheddar, checked. I have all the key ingredients on hand to make a healthy salad. This is exactly what I need to make after a weekend indulgence on some not-so-healthy eating. For some reasons or another I don’t always adhere to the strictest healthful diet. However, that makes me appreciate more the taste and the essence of a raw kale salad.
Other than the fact that the kale salad with apples and cheddar is heathy good, the balance of flavor is incredibly satisfying. You’d have no problem putting more salad on the plate.
First off, for a kale salad to be successful, use the most tender kale you can find and cut it to the finest thinest filaments possible. Curly kale and Russian kale are more tender than black leaf kale. What can go wrong using the best-tasting kale, apple and sharp cheddar you can find?
Letting the dressed kale salad rest has the same effect of softening the texture of the kale leaves. Some say massaging the kale would tenderize the stringiness and rawness of it. Don’t be afraid to let the salad sit for a few hours. There is no sign of it wilting like other leafy green salads when I just let it sit out on the kitchen counter. In short, kale salads hold up and travel well.
Here is another trick: I always have a bottle of homemade citrus dressing/sauce/marinade in the fridge. More often than not, I use it for salads and vegetables. Or whichever food I need to add a zing or an oomph — that sounds like almost everything. Therefore, I often make a big batch so I don’t run out of this good stuff that packs a real punch.
The ingredients are: neutral oil, olive oil, fresh lemons, honey, salt and pepper. To make the lemon honey dressing: blend together 2 parts juice from fresh lemons, 1 part olive oil and 3 parts canola oil. Give it a shake or use an immersion blender until the mixture emulsified. In other words, for one cup dressing, you need 1/3 cup lemon juice, and 2/3 cup of two oils combined, consisting of 1/6 cup olive oil and 1/2 cup canola oil. To finish, add about 1 tablespoon of honey and a pinch of salt and ground pepper. Taste and adjust for seasoning accordingly. This dressing is gold!
Kale Salad With Apples and Cheddar
Ingredients
- 4 cups very finely chopped or slivered curly kale or Russian kale (about 6 ounces on the stem, or half of a ¾-pound bunch, stemmed and washed in two rinses of water)
- 2 tablespoons coarsely chopped toasted almonds
- 1 apple, sweet, like a Fuji, or a sweet-tart, like a Gala, Braeburn or Pink Lady, cored and cut in ¼-inch dice
- 1 ounce sharp Cheddar cheese, cut in ¼-inch dice
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
- 1 very small garlic clove, puréed
- 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
Instructions
Combine the kale, almonds, apple and Cheddar in a large bowl.
Whisk together the lemon juice, salt, garlic and olive oil. Add to the salad, and toss well. Sprinkle the Parmesan over the top, and serve.
Tip on advance preparation: This salad benefits from tossing with the dressing about 15 minutes before you serve it. The kale will soften in the dressing.
Notes
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1013732-kale-salad-with-apples-and-cheddar
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