Nagi’s Everyday Kale Side Salad (not for everyone)

This is my everyday Kale Side Salad, the one I make most often in real life because it is dead easy to make, uses very little oil, is simply flavoured with lemon, yet I genuinely never get sick of eating it. But – heads up – this kale recipe won’t be for everyone!

My Everyday Kale Side Salad recipe

This is the kale side salad I make most often in real life because it’s so effortless to make but makes kale genuinely enjoyable to eat – a way to get a good amount of super greens into me!

Kale leaves are softened to take out the chew with a modest amount of extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice, then finished with a light shower of flaked almonds and parmesan, these latter two being my “salad treat” items that elevate it from a boring bowl of greens I’d force down to something I actually enjoy eating.

It’s simply flavoured and simply made, which is exactly what I like about it. I think kale eaters will enjoy it, but without creamy dressings and loads of add-ins, it probably won’t convert kale haters. And that’s ok – this is a real life Wednesday recipe after all! 🙂

Ingredients in my Everyday Kale Side Salad

Here’s all you need. The almond can be substituted with any nut or seeds you want. If you don’t have lemon, just use vinegar. And if you’re out of parmesan, grate over any cheese you have, add a sprinkle of crispy fried shallots (store bought of course!) or something else crunchy and salty like Chang’s crispy noodles!

• Kale – I use curly kale. It’s my default because it’s typically quite a bit cheaper than cavolo nero (lacinato kale/tuscan kale ie. the type that looks like silverbeet/chard), and I like the texture of the curly leaves – they are made for capturing dressing and salad sprinkles (nuts, parmesan, bacon bits!). You will need 5 big stems, 4 cups tightly packed.

• Extra virgin olive oil – This is a key flavouring here so reach for your good stuff! We won’t be using much of it, just 2 tablespoons! (I know, this sounds nowhere near enough for a mound of kale but the scrunching / rubbing technique we’re using here makes a little bit go so much further than pouring over dressing).

• Lemon – Fresh lemon juice goes a long way here to brighten up the earthy kale flavour but take care not make it so insanely sour it’s unpleasant, because we are not mixing up an oily dressing, a little bit goes a long way. Start with 2 teaspoons, that’s all I use. Taste, and add more if you want. No lemon? Lime is great too, else apple cider vinegar (rub it into the leaves with the oil).

• Salt and pepper – Literally just 1/4 heaped teaspoon of salt, which I know, sounds like nothing for a good mound of kale. But as with the olive oil, a little bit goes a long way when you rub it into the leaves! Also remember, we get some salt from the parmesan.

• Almond flakes – The light, fine flakes stayed nicely littered throughout the kale leaves.

• Parmesan – Just a small piece, only about a tablespoon (if that) that increases substantially in volume once finely grated. I toss some through but put most on top – looks can be deceiving and with salads that’s a good thing! 🙂

  And sometimes, I may or may not by-pass grating the parmesan myself and just reach for the tub instead! 🙂

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How to make my Everyday Kale Salad

Here’s how to make this kale side salad. You won’t pick up a knife – how good is that!

1. Strip the kale leaves off the stem. Do this by holding onto the stem with one hand, enclosing your other hand at the base then sliding it up the stem. You should get most of it off in one go, you might need to pick some leaves off the end, or rip a bit of stem off some of the leafy part.

2. Tear the kale leaves into bite size pieces using your hands. (If you want to be more precise, feel free to slice).

3. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper.

4. Scrunch and massage the kale using your hands. No need for a light touch like with other leafy greens! Kale leaves are hardy and chewy – chewier than is enjoyable – so the scrunching softens them. Grab handfuls, squeeze tightly in your fist, then rub the leaves together to coat every surface with the olive oil.

5. Leave 30 minutes – Then leave the kale for 30 minutes to give it time to soften and “marinate”. At this point you can even leave the kale in the fridge for up to 2 days.

6. Toss – Drizzle with the lemon juice and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, then give it a toss. We only need a bit of extra dressing here because the oil we rubbed into the leaves goes such a long way.

7. Half almonds and parmesan – Then add half the parmesan and flaked almonds (toasted if you could be bothered, don’t let my laziness influence you!). Give it another quick toss.

8. Finish – Pour the salad into a serving bowl then top with the remaining almonds and parmesan. Enjoy!

What to serve with this kale salad

The simple bright flavour in this salad means it will literally go with anything, from a rich roast beef tenderloin with a creamy mushroom sauce to a simple seasoned pan seared chicken breast or fish, a hearty Greek Pasta Bake (Pastitsio!) to a roast chicken.

It probably isn’t the natural choice for an Asian main, but you couldn’t stop me from reaching for it if it was in the fridge. And that is one of the handy things about kale! It’s so hardy, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days even after being dressed, and there’s nothing in this salad that will wain with time (like croutons).

So there you go! Now you know one way I get kale into me on a regular basis. 🙂 I have another way that I do on the stove. I’ll give it a few weeks before dropping that one here. I’d hate you to think that I’m turning into a kale pusher! 😆 – Nagi x

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Watch how to make it

More kale recipes

A surprising number, for someone who is known for cosy brown-cheesy-carb-focsused foods!! I’m impressed with myself. 😂

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Life of Jaffle

I heard a suspicious rustling in the pantry and dashed over to find Jaffle sitting there, looking totally innocent. Like dogs always hang out in pantries, just to chill out and contemplate the meaning of life. We all know the truth – Jaffle is a Very Naughty Dog, so I’ll have to do some rummaging to figure out what he got into!!

And in case you’re wondering, all dog treats and enticing foods that are harmful to dogs (chocolate, dried fruit etc) are safely tucked into cupboards or up high and out of his reach.

Actually, he is shockingly very well behaved in the pantry (which is open-plan ie no doors between the kitchen and the pantry). He was taught from day 1 not to touch anything in there, and thus far he has not taken anything.

(I think…..)