Tuscan Kale Salad

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Tuscan Kale Salad || To Salt & See

Thank goodness it’s summer! But probably not for the reason that you are thinking. Last week our car started malfunctioning in that it wouldn’t go above 20 mph, sometimes even 10 mph. Obviously this makes it near impossible to drive in a city. But thankfully because it is summer and not snow-covered winter, we have been able to get around via our bikes. And we are even more thankful that we live close enough to our places of work that riding our bikes is easy. We carefully drove our car to a nearby Autozone to have the “check engine” code read. Unfortunately, while there were codes that they could pull, none of the codes would transfer to the computer to be read. We tried a different car shop, and the same issue occurred. Our only other option was to drive out to our mechanic shop that specializes in our cars….. 11 miles away.

We waited for a day that both of us were off work in order for person to be able to navigate only using side streets and non-busy roads while the other drove. It took us 40 minutes to get there with a lot of pulling over to the side to allow cars going the speed limit to pass us. It is at the shop now, so we will see what happens!

In the meantime, let’s talk about this healthy salad. Now, I am normally not a kale person. As in, while I really want to eat kale for the health benefits, the only way I can do this is if it is frozen and disguised in a smoothie. But a few weeks ago I tried a kale salad at an Italian restaurant here, and actually loved it. This got me thinking that maybe I just haven’t been preparing kale in salads properly. And it’s true! I found out that there is a science to reducing the bitterness of kale. So follow the preparation instructions below carefully for best taste!

The earthy and bitter taste of the kale is balanced well with the sweetness of the apples, and richness of the cheese, while the almonds provide a nice crunch. The lemon-olive oil dressing is very simple, yet tasty. Share this salad at your next summer gathering or simply enough on your own for a healthy and refreshing salad.

Tuscan Kale Salad

Prep time:

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

  • 1 bunch (7 ounces) dino/lacinato kale
  • 5 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 apple, diced
  • 1/4 cup almond slices
  • 1 ounce Gruyere cheese, grated

Instructions:

  1. Wash and destem kale. Cut into thin, bite-sized strips. Transfer to a medium sized bowl.
  2. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt. Massage the dressing into the kale. Let sit for 20 minutes.
  3. Toss in the remaining ingredients. Keep leftovers covered the refrigerator for 1-2 days.