Kale is the king of leafy greens. This powerhouse veggie is packed with Vitamin K and C, beta-carotene, and calcium. When kale becomes a farmers’ market staple and the leaves are at their crispest and most nutritious, we enjoy it in its raw form, particularly when we can find Tuscan kale (also known as dinosaur or lacinato kale) or any type of baby kale.
To dress up this salad, we have thrown in toasted almonds for their rich and crunchy texture and red raisins for their understated sweetness, and of course a few Parmesan shavings to round out the melange. It’s a great salad to serve alongside any meal.
Mangia’s kale salad recipe:
Serves 4
- 1/3 cup of red raisins
- 1 bunch baby kale or Tuscan kale, stalks removed and discarded
- Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1/2 up extra virgin olive oil
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons roughly chopped toasted almonds
- Parmesan cheese shavings for topping
In a small bowl, soak the raisins in hot water to cover for 10 minutes to plump them, then drain completely.
Meanwhile, slice the kale into 3/4 – inch ribbons and place in a large bowl, In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic and Mangia extra virgin olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
Scatter the almonds and red raisins over the kale, add the dressing and tos. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes — this allows the kale leaves to soften and absorb the flavors of the dressing. Top with Parmesan shavings and serve.
Enjoy!!!
