This is probably my favorite raw kale salad because it’s easy to make, tastes incredible, and is packed with nutrients. This combination of ingredients creates a salad that is very sweet without the need to add any type of sweetener. However, if you have a real sweet tooth, feel free to add your sugar-laden vice of choice (mine is agave nectar).
When I started my health journey years ago (if interested, read this post and/or that one), I learned quickly that kale was my miracle food. My body responds well and quickly to its endless list of nutrients, but back then I didn’t know how to cook it other than steaming. That’s why I was thrilled when I came across this salad at a Whole Foods deli counter. It quickly became a favorite, so I decided to create my own version of it.
A key ingredient to this salad is the pine nuts. However, the cost of them has gone through the roof over the past few years. About $25.00 a pound! For this salad, I use a 1/2 cup of them. I have tried substituting other types of nuts, but as this is a sweet-tasting salad, the pine nuts play so well into it that I just deal with the price and suck it up. In order to get the best price, try not to buy them in a tiny bottle off the shelf in the spice aisle – the mark-up is insane. See if you can find them in bulk out of a bin.
Another important ingredient is black currants. However, they have been very hard to come by recently. I happened to get the last package at my store. If you can’t find them, use raisins instead, but chop them up into small pieces.
I like to use curly (Scots) kale for this salad rather than Lacinato (Tuscan or dinosaur) kale. The leaves of curly kale are a bit thicker and hold up better when “cooked” by the fresh lemon juice. However, feel free to use what you like best and what is available. Even purple kale would work. And kale is one of the vegetables I always buy organic, but if not available in your store, make sure you wash it thoroughly to remove any residual pesticides.
Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale, chopped
½ small red onion, small dice
1 gala apple (or any very sweet apple), small dice
½ cup black currants (or chopped raisins)
½ cup pine nuts
2 lemons, juiced
sea salt to taste
Directions
- Juice the lemons first. Depending on how juicy they are, you may want to use more or less.
- Chop kale by pulsing in the food processor. Place in a bowl and pour the lemon juice over the kale. Stir it well so that the kale is thoroughly coated by the lemon juice, which will “cook” the kale. This softens the kale so it has a pleasant bite to it.
- Chop the apple and onion. Add to the bowl.
- Add the currants and pine nuts.
- Mix all ingredients thoroughly so everything is coated with lemon juice.
- Salt to taste. Adjust lemon if needed. Add sweetener, if desired.
This salad can be eaten immediately, but if you leave it in the fridge for a couple of hours, the lemon juice cooks the kale and the flavors meld very nicely.
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