Raw Kale Salad

In the aforementioned epic shopping and eating weekend, Alyssa, Nisha, and I took a quick lunch break to gather out energy for the day.  During our lunch, we tried a kale salad and it was really good.  This was the first time that I had tried kale before.

Later, while doing some grocery shopping during the week, I came across kale in the grocery store and decided it was worth a try.  Kale has a very cabbage like taste and texture, only the leaves are not as soft when eaten raw.  At first, I thought that discovering kale might be like when I discovered brussel sprouts and then could not stop eating them because it is nice to find a new, healthy vegetable to add to meals.

I decided to make a kale salad, trying to pull from the only kale salad that I had tried before. I looked up some recipes and found this and this recipe. I adapted them a little bit, depending on the ingredients that I had on hand.

There are several conclusions that I came to after making the salad. First, it took a long time for me to separate the edible leaves from the much harder stems. I am not sure if I was just having a slow day, so it is something that I will have to try again. Second, the kale is really tough at first but softened nicely after being left over night. I would recommend letting it sit for several hours before eating. Third, in the kale salad that I tried the kale was much softer. Possibly the kale was steamed for several minutes before preparing the salad. This is also something that I will have to try next time I buy kale.

Otherwise I am happy with the results of my first raw kale salad. Because the leaves soften with time, it is perfect for eating for a few days after the initial preparation.

Raw Kale Salad
Ingredients
to be adjusted to taste

1 10-oz bag of raw kale
1/4 cup of roasted walnuts, chopped
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 of a red onion, chopped
1/4-1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

1. Cut the kale leaves from the stems and discard the stems. Chop the kale leaves.

2. In a large mixing bowl mix the kale leaves, walnuts, onion, oil, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, and cheese. Adjust all the ingredients to taste.

3. Refrigerate for several hours until the leaves softened, then serve.

Enjoy,

~R