I did not subscribe to the kale craze. I don't get it. It's a vegetable. I mean, I get it, it's supposed to be super good for you, blah blah blah. But there wasn't a dish that featured kale that I had tried and liked. It's kind of bitter and weird. Why were people so obsessed with it? (Probably because kale has a publicist. No, that's not a joke.)
Then, while visiting Jordan's family, I ate this salad. We lovingly refer to it as "Missy's Kale Salad," because Jordan's aunt Missy is the queen of this recipe. It's often one of a few healthy foods served in a sea of ribs and mashed potatoes, so it usually gets gobbled up.
It's not a complicated recipe - the only thing that takes a second is de-coring the brussels.
What's so great about it?
- It lends itself to large portions, so I make a double serving and we use it as our salad with dinner for the week.
- It's insanely healthy, obviously.
- The lemon/mustard/garlic combo in the dressing is so delicious and tangy - really gives it a nice "bite;" the almonds are buttery and give it a great texture; and the pecorino is the perfect topping.
(To make this recipe Whole30 approved, remove the cheese and make sure the mustard is sugar-free. It's compliant otherwise!)
A note: I was out of Dijon mustard (I only had yellow), so the ground mustard was just a substitute for this photo because it's prettier. I didn't actually use it! Hehe!
Ingredients:
The salad:
1 bunch of kale (usually 5-6 large sprigs) de-stemmed and rough chopped
8-10 brussels sprouts, de-cored and rough chopped.
1 cup pecorino cheese
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste
The dressing:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about one lemon's worth)
2 T Dijon mustard
1 minced garlic clove
1/4 cup olive oil
1. Wash your kale carefully and set it aside.
2. Begin de-coring your brussels. The way that I do this is: take the outer leaves off, cut the brussels sprout in half, then de-core it by carefully cutting out the hard, white center. After it's de-cored, I add it to the pile and give all those yummy brussels a good rough chop.
3. Now, for the dressing. This is a "dump" dressing - you can toss all the ingredients in a bowl at once and whisk them together. (Sorry there's not a whisked photo attached. Ha!)
4. Spread your slivered almonds out on a sheet of foil. You can toast them however you like - I like to use the toaster over so that I can monitor them (others broil them in the oven or toast them in olive oil on the stovetop). Almonds burn very easily, so whatever your method, be vigilant!
5. Almost done! Mix your veggies together, toss them in dressing, add the almonds and cheese, and voila!
Super simple and VERY yummy. A crowd-pleaser for sure - even for people say they don't like kale. I was one of those people. I am now a kale fan. What happened to my life?
Happy eating!