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

My Everyday Kale Side Salad recipe

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

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! .

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!

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

My Everyday Kale Side Salad

Recipe video above. This is how I make a kale side salad on a Monday night after a long day at work. It’s virtuous and lazy – no chopping, no separate dressing – but makes kale enjoyable to eat, thanks to the oil-and-scrunch technique that softens the chewy leaves without loads of oil-heavy dressing.It goes with "everything", and keeps for 2 days in the fridge – useful! Make it once with the recipe, then just eyeball it and use it as a base for your own additions – apple, red onion, cranberries, bacon, whatever takes your fancy. NOTE: This is probably not the salad to convert kale haters. It's a little too simple, I feel .

FULL RECIPE

1. Kale – I use curly kale, feel free to use cavolo nero if you prefer (Tuscan kale / lacinato kale). Kale is quite chewy when raw – chewier than pleasant – and the scrunching/30 minute marinade is what softens it.

2. Lemon – Add a bit of lemon zest when rubbing the oil into the kale leaves, for extra lemon flavour. If you don’t have fresh lemon, use apple cider vinegar instead but don’t drizzle, rub it into the leaves along with the olive oil.

3. Flaked almonds – I may or may not skip toasting, depending on how my day is going! But to toast, use a small pan with no oil, heat on medium then toss almonds for 1 1/2 minutes or until lightly golden. Remove from pan immediately. Other nuts – slivered almonds, pepitas, sunflower seeds, roughly chopped walnuts, pecans or cashews.

4. Parmesan – I may to may not reach for the pre-grated tub at times, for convenience!

If you don’t have parmesan, use shredded cheddar or other cheese, or something else crunchy and salty – crispy fried shallots, Changs Crispy Fried Noodles, pangrattato.

Leftovers will keep for 2 days in the fridge (kale is fabulously hardy stuff!).

Nutrition per serving, assuming 5 servings.