(Recipe can be found on the site Gimme Some Oven here.)
Step by Step Instructions:
This Kale Salad with Warm Cranberry Almond Vinaigrette will be on your table in no time. Here’s what you’ll need: Salt & Pepper, 1 bunch of Kale, 1 Shallot, 3 Garlic cloves, Dried Cranberries, 1 Lemon, Sliced Almonds, Red Wine Vinegar, Olive Oil, and Goat Cheese (which can be optional…but should it be??).
Start off with prepping your veggies. Thinly slice the shallot. I had a massive shallot, and I almost didn’t use the whole thing, but hell you only live once right?!
Good thing you’ve seen coarsly chopped garlic before because this picture is a bit on the blurry side. But in any case just coarsly chop 3 garlic cloves.
Then turn your attention to the kale. I stripped the leaves from the stalks and tossed those. Next I did nearly a chiffonade (like you would slice basil, for ex) to thinly cut the kale. So just pile the leaves on top of each other, roll them together a bit, and thinly slice through the leaves…
…and you’ll see how they look once I’m done. Yum!
Then zest half of a lemon. You’ll also need half of the lemon for juice in the vinaigrette, so keep it handy.
In a medium-sized pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add in the shallots. You’ll want to cook them for about 4 or 5 minutes until they are tender.
Here are the shallots after about 4 1/2 minutes. I let them get a little crsipy for added flavor.
Then add the garlic and saute it for about a minute.
Finally finish up the vinagrette by adding 1 cup of dried cranberries, the lemon zest, the juice of half of a lemon, 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (which will make your eyes water!), and salt and pepper to taste.
Stir until it’s well combined and remove from the heat. You’ll need it in just a moment.
Now get your hands ready! Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to the kale and massage the kale for 1 to 2 minutes. You’re looking for the kale to get nice and tender this way.
I forgot to take a picture after it was massaged, but here is a close up and the kale is softened and less bitter.
Then add the cranberry vinaigrette to the kale plus 1/4 cup of sliced almonds. Stir it well and serve. I topped mine with a bit of crumbled goat cheese, which I think really made this salad more special. The creaminess really helped with the tart cranberries and the slightly bitter kale. This Kale Salad with Warm Cranberry Almond Vinaigrette was fabulous! I can’t wait to dig into the leftovers. Happy massaging my friends!
- 3 Tbsp. Olive Oil, divided
- 1 Shallot, peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
- 1 cup Dried Cranberries
- 2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar
- juice and zest of half a Lemon
- ⅛ tsp. Salt
- ⅛ tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 bunch Kale, very thinly sliced
- ¼ cup sliced Almonds
- (optional) ¼ cup crumbled Blue Cheese or Goat Cheese
- Once you have your veggies prepped, the vinaigrette comes together in a snap. Get a medium or large pan and heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat. Then saute the shallots for about 4 or 5 minutes until they are tender. The garlic is added next and sauteed for another minute. Then in goes the cranberries, red wine vinegar, lemon juice and zest, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir it all together and then remove from the heat.
- Time for the kale. Place the thinly sliced kale into a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt to it. Then massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes. The idea is for it to get tender, and you'll be able to tell as it does.
- Once the kale is tender, add the cranberry vinaigrette and sliced almonds and combine. When you serve the salad you can top with goat cheese or blue cheese. I opted for the goat cheese, which was delicious!
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