This quick kale salad recipe from ScandiKitchen Christmas is a great go-to for a simple meal or side salad idea. If you spend 5 minutes massaging the kale (yes, you read right) the bitterness disappears and you end up with a silky, beautiful bitter-on-the-bite salad, perfect next to rich meats.
Ingredients
75 g hazelnuts
200 g curly kale
at least 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 heads of chicory
2 tart apples
seeds from ½ a pomegranate
olive oil and seasoning, as needed
serves 3
Toast the hazelnuts in a hot pan and set aside to cool. Remove and discard the stalks from the kale, and chop the leaves roughly.
In a bowl, combine the lemon juice and a pinch of salt, then add the kale. Massage with your fingers for about 5 minutes – you will see the kale changing colour to a deeper green, and it will also feel softer. This means the harsh bitterness will also disappear.
Discard the outer layers of the chicory/endive leaves, then thinly slice and add to the salad. Core and chop the apples and add to the bowl. Hold the pomegranate half over the bowl, cut-side down, and beat out the seeds using a wooden spoon.
Raw kale salad doesn’t need a lot of dressing – mainly just the lemon. I usually just add a glug of olive oil and check if it needs more lemon and salt. If it’s too tangy, a pinch of sugar or even runny honey works, but don’t use any creamy dressings. Taste and season as preferred. Finally, fold in the hazelnuts and serve.
This recipe is from ScandiKitchen Christmas by Bronte Aurell. To get more great blog posts like this one - direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.