The greens in my back yard are at their peak now. With 12 kale plants ready for picking, it’s kale salad season again. I published several favorite kale salads last summer, and tried a new one last evening.
This recipe comes from a blog called COOKIE and kate. (Kate is the actual blogger and Cookie is her canine cooking companion who catches the crumbs.) The site is filled with fresh vegetarian recipes. I’d never visited COOKIE and kate before yesterday, and am looking forward to exploring further.
This salad is colorful and filled with so many different textures. The gingery dressing, along with Thai basil and cilantro, gives the salad a decidedly Asian flare.
Chopped Kale Salad with Carrots and Edamame
- 1 bunch kale (preferably lacinato/Tuscan/dinosaur kale but regular curly kale works, too)
- fine-grain sea salt
- 1 cup chopped snow peas, ends trimmed (I used fresh snap peas because they are in season right now, and the pods are edible.)
- 1 large carrot, peeled and ribboned with a vegetable peeler
- 1 small red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 heaping cup organic edamame (if using frozen edamame, defrost by tossing into a pot of boiling water for 3 to 4 minutes)
- 1 avocado, pitted and sliced into small chunks
- 1 large shallot, finely sliced
- handful cilantro, chopped
- handful Thai basil (or regular basil), chopped
Tamari-Ginger Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon finely grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium tamari
- 2 teaspoons lime juice
- 3 garlic cloves, pressed or minced
Whisk together the dressing ingredients. Remove the tough stems from the kale. Chop the kale into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the salt. Pour in a small amount of the dressing and massage the kale with the dressing until it’s dark and shiny. (If you’re using fresh, young kale from your garden, you may not need to do this, as the kale may be tender enough to begin with.)
Add the remaining ingredients and toss with the dressing.