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Kale and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Kale and Apple Salad with Toasted Walnuts

Raw kale needs a little help to be pleasant in a salad, and the help is simple: strip out the tough ribs, slice the leaves thin and massage them with a pinch of salt and some of the dressing. In a couple of minutes, they turn darker, softer and much less bitter.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large bunch (about 8 oz / 225 g) organic curly or lacinato kale
  • 1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped
  • 1 large crisp apple such as Honeycrisp or Fuji
  • 1/4 cup dried cranberries optional
  • 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan optional
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp maple syrup or honey
  • 1/4 tsp fine sea salt plus a pinch for the kale
  • black pepper to taste

Method
 

  1. Wash the kale and dry it thoroughly. Strip the leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Stack the leaves and slice them into thin ribbons.
  2. Toast the walnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 3–5 minutes, shaking the pan, until fragrant. Let them cool.
  3. Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, mustard, maple syrup, salt and pepper in a small bowl.
  4. Put the kale in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and about a third of the dressing. Massage the leaves with clean hands for 2 minutes, until they darken and soften.
  5. Core the apple and cut it into thin slices or matchsticks.
  6. Add the apple, walnuts, cranberries and Parmesan to the kale, pour over the remaining dressing, and toss.

Notes

  • Dry kale holds onto the dressing better; a salad spinner makes this easy.
  • Toss the apple slices with a squeeze of lemon if you are prepping ahead, to slow browning.