My Favorite Kale Salad!

 Raw

Tuscan 

Kale 

Salad

This is one of my absolute favorite kale salad recipes, that I have made way too many times to count! It is full of my favorite leafy green, kale!, and has the perfect combination of a lemony cheesy dressing that softens the kale after a few minutes. I found this recipe, the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad on Heidi Swanson's blog 101 Cookbooks, but is originally from Melissa Clark's book In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite. What is so great about this recipe it that it takes 10 minutes or less to make and cooking time (when it just sits, it doesn't actually cook) is only 5 minutes! 

With all the countless times I have made this salad, I have only gotten a few pictures of it in-the-making with my old phone. Maybe that proves to show how excited I am to eat it each time I make it, and therefore never really caring about pictures. If food-porn is what sells you on whether to try a recipe or not, check it out on Heidi's blog!

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
• 2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs 
• 1/2 garlic clove
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch 
• 1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus adiitional for garnish 
• If you don't have pecorino, parmesan cheese can be a substitute
  
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish 
• Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (around 1/4 cup) 
• 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste

(You can see the garlic and salt paste consistency on the lower left corner of the cutting board)

Instructions:

• Slice (or just tear apart with your hands like I often do) the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 - 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

• If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs. Or you can use premade bread crumbs like I often do in a rush. 

• Pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl.

• Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. 

• Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).

• Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil. 

~ Enjoy just a small portion of it as a side dish or eat a whole bowl of it when feeling vegetable deprived!