Kale and Apple Salad

Sometimes you just need a salad that’s as big as your New Year’s resolutions. Enter my kale and apple salad recipe, a modern version of The BIG Salad (Seinfeld fans will understand the significance). It’s packed with kale, walnuts, raisins, apples, and Parmesan, all tossed into a luscious, creamy balsamic dressing.

I first made this in a massive resin bowl by Nashi Home. I received the bowl as a gift a while back and it is SO beautiful! Given it’s colossal size (about thirty 30 centimeters in diameter), I rarely get a chance to use it. This kale and apple salad gave me the perfect excuse to put that bowl to work! The first time I made it, I used about three times the amount of greens written in this recipe. I’ve scaled back the quantity here for practical purposes. Feel free to double, triple or quadruple the quantities as you see fit.

Kale & Apple Salad with Walnuts, Raisins & Creamy Balsamic Dressing

Salad Ingredients

• 2 cups kale, stems removed and chopped
• 2 cups green lettuce of choice, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 ½ tablespoons avocado oil
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• ¼ cup walnuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped
• ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano shavings
• 4 tablespoons creamy balsamic dressing

Creamy Balsamic Dressing (Makes about ½ cup, enough for multiple servings)

• ¼ cup balsamic vinegar
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/2 garlic clove, finely minced or grated
• a squeeze of lemon
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Massage the kale with avocado oil until slightly softened and tender. Toss it with the green lettuce in a large bowl. Add the raisins and toasted walnuts, mixing gently to distribute. Drizzle 4 tablespoons of the creamy balsamic dressing over the salad and toss until evenly coated. Top with Parmigiano Reggiano shavings and serve.

For the Dressing:

Blend balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, lemon, and minced garlic with a blender or hand blender until smooth . Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blitz until emulsified. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste. Adjust sweetness or acidity if needed. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

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