ChezCindy: Citrus Kale Salad

 

I presented a Citrus Kale Salad recipe as part of a citrus themed cooking class last winter, demonstrating several recipes using lemons, limes oranges and grapefruit.  The colorful citrus brought a ray of sunshine among the dark winter days.  It was fun and tasty.

With the cooler days of fall, kale is now available from the farm markets, and lots of gorgeous apples.  I thought this salad might be good with crisp apples in place of the clementine oranges.  The apples work very well.  The orange juice used in the salad dressing complements the apples and the kale.  Try making this now with apples and later this winter with clementine oranges.

Citrus Kale Salad
4 cups kale leaves, cut into thin ribbons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
4-5 clementine oranges, or 2 small apples

Slice the kale leaves into ribbons and place them into a large bowl.  Massage the olive oil into the kale; sprinkle with the kosher salt. 

Peel and divide each clementine into sections, cut each section in half crosswise; add to the kale.  Alternate option:  cut each apple into thin slices.  Drizzle 3 tablespoons of Citrus Dressing over the kale; toss to combine well.  Add more dressing as desired.  Serve as a first course salad, or make this into a hearty lunch by including sliced grilled chicken.  

Citrus Salad Dressing
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
a few grinds of black pepper to taste
1/2 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
6 tablespoons olive oil

Add the orange juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, honey and Dijon in a small bowl.  Whisk to combine.  Slowly whisk in the olive oil until emulsified.  Serve with Citrus Kale Salad.