I needed a healthy side to go with the Oven-Barbecued Beef Brisket I just made, and salad was an easy choice. Then I had to decide which one! I finally settled on this Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing–mostly because of the word “easy”. I knew the brisket would be a lot of work, and I was not about to pair it with a side dish that was also a lot of work. (I’ll save that for Thanksgiving!) This kale salad sounds like a super healthy side to a not so healthy main, and I’m actually looking forward to trying it. My husband doesn’t share my enthusiasm about kale, but I’ll bribe him with the brisket.
Tangy, crunchy, full of incredible lemon flavor mixed with the amazing superfood KALE! This recipe is the best one you will find for Kale salad.
The Ingredients
I had a few of the items I needed for this salad in my pantry, and the rest were easy to find. Basics like olive oil, honey, and apple cider vinegar are always around. I also had some pine nuts I needed to use up, so I opted to use them since the recipe said pistachios or any nuts you have on hand (I love recipes that help me use up leftovers!).
That left me to shop for the dairy and produce. As you can see, I got curly kale since that was the only type at the grocery store. And I was pleasantly surprised to find Whole Foods also stocks golden raisins but less delighted when I saw how dry they looked. I know, they’re raisins, but the picture with the recipe had much prettier plumper raisins. I think I have raisin envy!
The Process
Making this salad was quick and easy and only took me 12 minutes (just a tad bit longer than the 10 minutes listed).
The instructions skip how to prep the kale, but it isn’t difficult. I fold each leaf in half, cut the stem away, then chop it when I have done 2-3 leaves. You can also just tear the kale off the stem in bite-sized pieces.
Once you’ve finished either of those steps, place the kale into a large bowl and massage with your hands. Just grab bunches in your fists and squeeze until you notice the color has darkened slightly. It’s optional, but some people swear it makes the kale less tough and bitter.
The rest went smoothly and according to the instructions, and I had a tasty salad made in just a few minutes.
The only sort of disappointing part about the salad was the golden raisins weren’t very plump (that’s not the author’s fault, of course). They really were shriveled and dry, even for raisins. However, they had plumped up the next day after the leftovers sat in the salad dressing. Next time I make this salad (and I will make it again), I’m going to make 1.5 times the salad dressing so I can soak the raisins in it for a few hours before I add them to the salad.
