Lemon Garlic Kale Salad

How to prepare kale for salads

If you choose not to use prepared baby kale leaves, you will need to prep your kale before making your salad. Follow these easy steps:

1. Wash the kale – Rinse the raw kale leaves thoroughly under cold water to remove any dirt or germs. Let dry.
2. Remove the stems – Since kale stems can be tough and fibrous, you don’t want to eat them in this salad. To remove, hold the kale leaf in one hand and use the other to strip the leafy part from the stem in a downward motion. You can use a knife to cut out the stems which can be easier.
3. Massage the kale – Since kale leaves can be tough, you may need to help break down the cell walls by massing the kale. Usually just rubbing the leaves in your hands for a few minutes will work. But adding the chopped kale to the dressing ahead of time can do this as well. The acid in the salad dressing can help break down the fibrous kale leaves.
4. Chop the kale – Using a knife, cut the kale into bite-sized pieces. Or make shredded kale but cutting in thin strips.

Best types of kale for salads

Baby kale

This is the kale used in pictures for this kale salad recipe. Baby kale is the young, tender leaves of the kale plant that are collected before the plant matures. Since it’s harvested early, baby kale has a milder, less bitter flavor and a more tender texture compared to mature kale.

It doesn’t require massaging the leaves like other varieties do since it is already tender. The downside is that you can’t dress the salad ahead of time because it will wilt quicker. That’s why you want to serve it right after tossing the dressing.

Tuscan or dinosaur kale

Also known as Lacinato kale, this kale variety has long, flat, and slightly wrinkled leaves that are a dark bluish-green coloring. It’s called dinosaur kale because the leaves resemble the skin of a dinosaur. The flavor of this kale is mild with a hint of sweetness and almost nutty.

Curly kale

Curly kale is usually what most people picture when they think of kale. It is bright green with ruffled, curly leaves. The flavor is slightly bitter and peppery, which usually pair perfectly with sweet or zesty, salty dressings. The leaves are fibrous and crunchy.

Tasty add-ins

The combination of the tangy lemon, zesty garlic, nutty almonds and salty parmesan cheese provide incredible flavor to this easy summer salad. But you can add other ingredients to your salad for different flavors.

Here’s some to try:

• Dried cranberries – give a chewy texture and hint of sweetness
• Poppy seeds – for flavor and appearance
• Diced red onion – give extra crunch and zest
• Diced bell pepper – for crunch and flavor, experiment with different colors of bell peppers.
• Cooked chicken – for protein to turn this side dish into a full meal
• Avocado – for extra flavor and fat
• Different cheeses – try goat cheese or feta cheese
• Maple syrup – use a splash of sugar free maple syrup for a hint of sweetness
• Different nuts – don’t have almonds, try toasted pine nuts, pecans or even walnuts!

Storage information & make ahead instructions

When it comes to salads with the dressing tossed in, it’s best to consume them right away if you are using baby kale leaves. Otherwise the leaves get soggy since the moisture and acids in the lemon vinaigrette dressing start to break down the fibers in the kale or lettuce leaves.

If you want to make it ahead of time…

However, there are components of this kale recipe that can be made ahead of time.

The almond can be toasted ahead of time and stored in an air tight container or ziploc baggie for up to 4 days. Using the almonds shortly after toasting is ideal as they will be at peak roasted freshness and have more flavor.

The lemon garlic vinaigrette dressing can be prepared ahead of time as well. Store in the refrigerator for several days. The longer the garlic steeps, the more garlic flavor the dressing will have.