Warm Kale Salad with Dried Cranberries and Walnuts
This warm kale salad is rich in taste, easy and healthy. Serve it as a salad, as a side dish to roast chicken, or as a bed for roast salmon. Place it over a bed of quinoa for a vegetarian or vegan entree. It all works. For your vinegar, choose a fun, fruit-flavored variety such as dark cherry or fig Balsamic.
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 144kcal
Ingredients
- 2 bunches organic kale Tuscan, Lacinato or Dinosaur
- 1 medium shallot
- 2 teaspoons salt used for boiling water
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 large garlic cloves chopped fine
- ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
- 1 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
- A sprinkle of sea salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot (5 quart/liter) of water to a boil while you are trimming the kale leaves and slicing the shallot. Trim the ribs out of the center of the kale leaves, then cut the leaves crosswise into ribbons. Slice the peeled shallot crosswise into thin rings.
- When water boils, add 2 teaspoons salt, then drop the kale leaves into the water and cook for 2 minutes (called blanching). Drain well through a sieve and place kale on a clean kitchen towel. Alternatively you can steam your kale for 2-3 minutes, then proceed with the recipe.
- In a medium saute or fry pan (3 or 4 quart), heat the olive oil over medium low heat until warm. Add the shallot rings, then the garlic. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring until softened. Be careful not to let them burn. Add the cranberries, walnuts and vinegar. Stir and cook for a minute, then add the cooked kale. Toss the kale ribbons to coat and warm, season up with salt and pepper, then serve.
Notes
Prep ahead in the morning for a fast dinner:
- Wash, stem and chop the kale leaves
- Chop walnuts and measure out
- Measure out the cranberries
- Chop the shallot
- Cover everything and refrigerate the kale and shallot until cooking time
- Place the rest of the ingredients ready to go near the stove
Nutrition
Calories: 144kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1190mg | Potassium: 386mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 6495IU | Vitamin C: 79mg | Calcium: 112mg | Iron: 1mg