kale salad with brussels sprouts and toasted almonds
I love the combination of the kale with the crunchiness of the Brussels sprouts and the toasted almonds. The almonds are toasted in olive oil and then topped with some sea salt, and they totally make the salad. The dressing is a bit creamy from the addition of the Dijon, and reminds me of my miso kale salad. This is a great salad to serve up alongside any Thanksgiving feast. I’m actually planning on bringing it to Thanksgiving dinner. Verdict, John and I loved this salad, Eli really liked it and Zoe tolerated it, but she really prefers some of my other kale salads. I think the raw Brussels were bugging her a bit. This salad, like any kale salad, tastes great day two, so leftovers are a good thing!
kale salad with brussels sprouts and toasted almonds:
recipe from Epicurious
serves 4-6
Note: I’m giving you the full recipe for the dressing. This dressing makes enough for 2 bunches of kale and 12 ounces of Brussels sprouts, but when I cut the dressing in half, my kids didn’t like it as much. They like the salad when I use 3/4 of the full dressing amount. Feel free to cut the dressing portion in half though or just add more kale.
- 1 to 1 1/2 bunches of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced – I usually use 1 1/2 bunches of kale, as the kale really reduces down after you massage it. To see how to de-stem and thinly slice kale click here
- 9-12 Brussels sprouts, washed, woody ends cut off, and sliced into thin slices
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese – the amount of cheese you add is to taste
Let’s prep all of the ingredients.
Juice up your lemons into a glass measuring cup and mince up your shallot and garlic.
Add to the lemon juice the Dijon mustard, minced shallot, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, a pinch of pepper and whisk to combine. Set the dressing aside while you prep the Brussels sprouts, so that the flavors can meld. Don’t add the olive oil yet, you will add that in a bit!
Add 1/2 of the dressing to the greens. Massage the dressing into the kale. When I say, massage your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it, like your giving a massage. When you massage kale, not only does it absorb the dressing, but it also breaks down the kale almost like when it’s cooked, and takes away any bitter flavor. Massage the kale until it’s about half of its original size.
Keep adding the dressing to taste as you massage it. Taste the salad, and if you want to add more dressing, then add a bit more. The amount of dressing you put in is totally to taste. Some people like their salads with tons of dressing, and others like them lightly dressed. The dressing makes enough for a double batch of this salad, so if you find that you’ve got extra dressing, then you can store it in a sealed container for a few days. Just make sure to stir or shake it before you use it next. Add in the toasted almonds and the Pecorino cheese.
Print kale salad with brussels sprouts and toasted almonds
Rating: 51
Serving Size: 4-6
Note: I'm giving you the full recipe for the dressing. This dressing makes enough for 2 bunches of kale and 12 ounces of Brussels sprouts, but when I cut the dressing in half, my kids didn't like it as much. They like the salad when I use 3/4 of the full dressing amount. Feel free to cut the dressing portion in half though.
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 1/2 bunches of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced - I usually use 1 1/2 bunches of kale, as the kale really reduces down after you massage it. To see how to de-stem and thinly slice kale click here
- 9-12 Brussels sprouts, washed, woody ends cut off, and sliced into thin slices
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/3 cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
- 1/2 to 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino cheese - the amount of cheese you add is to taste
Instructions
Let's begin by toasting up the almonds. You can toast up the almonds ahead to time to save a step. Just store them in covered container till you're ready to use them. Coarsley chop the almonds. Measure out 1/2 cup of olive oil into a measuring cup. Take out 1 tablespoon of oil from the 1/2 cup and put it into a skillet (you will use the remainder of the olive oil for the dressing). Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the nuts to a paper towel lined plate to get the grease off. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine sea salt. Set them aside to cool.
Now it’s time to prep the rest of the ingredients. Wash, de-stem and thinly slice your kale. If you’re not sure how to de-stem and slice kale then you can check out my post on how to de-stem and thinly slice kale, or you can watch the beginning part of my lacinato kale salad video for instructions as well. This video has really helped my readers easily understand how to de-stem kale quickly over the sink.
Juice up your lemons into a glass measuring cup and mince up your shallot and garlic.
Add to the lemon juice the Dijon mustard, minced shallot, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, a pinch of pepper and whisk to combine.
Set the dressing aside while you prep the Brussels sprouts, so that the flavors can meld. Don't add the olive oil yet, you will add that in a bit!
Cut the ends off of your Brussels and then pull off any loose leaves.
Rinse the Brussels in a bowl of water to get all of the dirt out, and then dry them.
Slice the Brussels into thin slices with a knife, or you can use the slicing disc of a food processor or a mandoline. I did not have the later two, so I just used a knife.
Cut the sprout in half, vertically, cutting right through the core. Place the half face down on the cutting board and cut it crosswise in thin strips. Feel free to slice them into smaller pieces if you want.
In a large salad bowl, mix together the thinly sliced kale and the Brussels sprouts.
Now it's time to finish the dressing. Slowly whisk the remaining olive oil into the lemon-juice mixture. Whisk well to combine the dressing.
Add 1/2 of the dressing to the greens.
Massage the dressing into the kale. When I say, massage your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it, like your giving a massage. When you massage kale, not only does it absorb the dressing, but it also breaks down the kale almost like when it’s cooked, and takes away any bitter flavor. Massage the kale until it's about half of its original size.
Keep adding the dressing to taste as you massage it. Taste the salad, and if you want to add more dressing, then add a bit more. The amount of dressing you put in is totally to taste. Some people like their salads with tons of dressing, and others like them lightly dressed.
The dressing makes enough for a double batch of this salad, so if you find that you've got extra dressing, then you can store it in a sealed container for a few days. Just make sure to stir or shake it before you use it next.
Add in the toasted almonds and the Pecorino cheese.
This salad tastes great day two, so don't fret if you have leftovers.
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