Meatless Monday: Kale Salad #2

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad for Meatless Monday

Last week’s Meatless Monday column touted raw kale and what a great base ingredient it is for a hearty salad. As a kale lover for decades, I’ve been really happy to witness its recent popularity, including throughout the yoga community. As a lover of cookbooks and recipes, I’m also grateful that kale is being featured in so many more creative recipes than it was in the past.

Over the summer, I’ll be posting more kale salad recipes. If you grow your own and have an abundance, salads are a quick, easy way to make a nutrition-packed supper. When I’ve made the salad that follows, I’ve partnered it with a bean soup or stew. The ingredients in this salad are few, but the flavor is big. Enjoy!

Raw Tuscan Kale Salad

from 101 Cookbooks (a treasure trove of whole, natural food recipes)

1 bunch Tuscan kale (for ex: black or lacinato)
2 thin slices country bread, or two handfuls good, homemade coarse breadcrumbs

1/2 garlic clove
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus a pinch

1/4 cup (or small handful) grated pecorino cheese, plus additional for garnish

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus additional for garnish

Freshly squeezed juice of one lemon (scant 1/4 cup or ~50ml)

1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Trim the bottom few inches off the kale stems and discard. Slice the kale into 3/4-inch ribbons. You should have 4 to 5 cups. Place the kale in a large bowl.

If using the bread, toast it until golden brown on both sides and dry throughout. Tear into small pieces and pulse in a food processor until the mixture forms coarse crumbs, or crumbs to your liking.

Using a mortar and pestle or a knife, pound or mince the garlic and 1/4 teaspoon of salt into a paste. Transfer the garlic to a small bowl. Add 1/4 cup cheese, 3 tablespoons oil, lemon juice, pinch of salt, pepper flakes, and black pepper and whisk to combine. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss very well (the dressing will be thick and need lots of tossing to coat the leaves).. Let the salad sit for 5 minutes, then serve topped with the bread crumbs, additional cheese, and a drizzle of oil.

Adapted from the Raw Tuscan Kale Salad with Chiles and Pecorino recipe in Melissa Clark’s In the Kitchen with A Good Appetite.