This kale and apple salad is ideal for the time of year when prime salad season is almost over but fall produce is in full swing.
In this fall-friendly slaw, crunchy toasted almonds and crisp apples bring their best to a giant bowlful of lemony, garlicky kale. Even if the individual ingredients don’t sing to you, I implore you to just try it: . When left uncooked, kale has all of the bright flavor of the green smell of a freshly mown lawn, and none of the, well, cookedness of cooked kale. And once you add mounds of delicious ingredients – hello, cheddar cheese! – it becomes irresistible, even to the skeptics. A note about preparation: Feel free to make this ahead of time, but leave out the apples and cheese until you’re ready to serve it.
Recipe Details: Double-Crunch Kale Slaw
Active time: 20 minutes
Total time: 20 minutes
Makes 8 servings
Total carbohydrates: 10 grams per serving
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (about the juice of one lemon)
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt (or half as much table salt)
- 1 clove of garlic, peeled, smashed and finely minced or put through a garlic press
- 1 bunch of very fresh kale (ideally the lacinato or dinosaur variety, which is sweeter and has a better texture here, but any kind is good), stemmed
- 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup sliced, slivered, or chopped raw almonds
- 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes (optional, if you like a little bit of spice)
- 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
- 1 sweet apple, cored and diced
Instructions
- Put the lemon juice, salt, and garlic in a large bowl and set it aside.
- Stack and bunch the leaves together, then use a large, very sharp knife to sliver them. You should have 6-8 cups.
- Put the slivered kale in the bowl with the lemon, salt, and garlic. Massage well using tongs or preferably your hands if you can stand to. Add the 1/4 cup of olive oil and massage some more, until the kale is softer and shinier than it was.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a small pan over medium-low heat and fry the almonds with a pinch of salt, turning them with a spatula for 2-3 minutes, until they are nice and golden.
- Turn off the heat, add the chili flakes, and immediately dump the contents of the pan into the kale, which will sizzle and hiss. Mix well.
- Add the cheese and apples and mix well again, then taste the salad. If it needs more salt or lemon, add it. Serve within an hour.
Credits:
Catherine Newman
https://diatribe.org/double-crunch-kale-slaw