Iāll admit: When I first saw the words ākaleā and āsaladā together, my brain did not immediately translate that into ādelicious.ā In fact, my brain ran in the opposite direction, cowering under the delicate-but-bland baby spinach thatās always in the crisper. Stupid brain. Turns out kale salad is a wintertime revelation, much more filling than spinach, with a pleasant ruggedness and a much milder flavor than you (well, I) might imagine.
The first kale salad I ever tried was from Stay at Stove Dad (a blog which, by the way, you should definitely be reading). It was so simple, so effortlessātoss a pile of barely-sautĆ©ed ribbons of lacinato kale (thatās a fancier version of the standard stuff, with long, lovely leaves) with lemon juice, Parm, and pine nuts. Done! It was quite an elegant little meal-for-one. But still, in my mind itās not 100% a salad since itās cooked, ever so slightly.
And then. And then! In the midst of the holiday bustle I met a group of fellow food writers for lunch at Resto. On the menu: ākale salad: brown butter and sherry vinaigrette, toasted almonds.ā I was not the only one tempted by these few wordsāeasily half the table ordered it. And it was good. Raw kale, tossed with a rich, mellow-tangy dressing and absolutely buried in sliced nuts. Ridiculously simple for so much flavor, so much satisfaction. Iām pretty sure itās the browned butter; the depth, the playfulness, the comfort comes from there.
Of course, I had to make it at home. Restoās version no doubt has double the butter, and probably 50% more almonds, but mine is Weight Watchers-friendly and every bit as perfect for a gray, borderline-depressing winter day.
Kale Salad with Browned Butter-Sherry Vinaigrette
Serves 1, but multiplies easily
Weight Watchers: The dressing/almonds combo is 4 PointsPlusāif you add the kale to the Recipe Builder it brings this up to 7 PointsPlus, but since vegetables are zero points I call fooey and donāt count it.
3 cups washed and torn kale leaves (lacinato, aka “Tuscan” or ādinosaur,ā or regular, organic preferredāespecially for babies & kids)
2 tablespoons toasted sliced almonds (Trader Joeās sells them already toasted, or you can toast them in a dry skillet for 2-3 minutes, until they darken)
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
salt & pepper
- Put the kale leaves in a large bowl, and top with the almonds.
- Put the butter in a small, stainless-steel skillet or saucepan over medium heat. Swirl it around a bit as it melts, just to keep it cooking evenly. Itāll foam, and when the foam subsides the magic begins. Continue to swirl the pan occasionally, but leave it alone otherwiseājust watch it, since once the color starts to change it darkens quickly. When the butter begins to smell nutty and the color is toasty, remove it from the heat and transfer to a small, air-tight container.
- Add the vinegar, salt, and pepper, cover, and shake. Pour over the salad, toss well, and serve.
MAKE BABY FOOD: Raw kale isnāt terribly friendly to the very youngest eatersāthough you know your baby best, and if she shows interest, thereās no medical reason not to let her try it. You can also lightly steam some kale leaves and puree with a bit of browned butter. If there are no food allergies in your immediate family, you can toss a few toasted almonds into the food processor as well.
My mom recently took kale and baked it on a rack in the oven. It came out crisy and beautiful. I never would have thought! Kale can be surprising!
Kale chips, yum! I made them for a party once–so easy & intriguing. But I think I overdid it, after making four or five batches in the space of a week or two. Totally burned out on them. May be time to revisit…
oooh, I love Resto – they make some amazing salads there. I once had a crazy amazing one with duck confit and a super-tangy vinaigrette… we shall splurge there together sometime!
Kale salad is also great because it will still stand up the next day as leftovers, it won't be wilty and drippy. This salad sounds so good!
Casey, I'd love to dine w/you @ Resto!
And Dana, I wouldn't know about leftovers when it comes to kale salad š
This was delicious! Thank you!