I have been obsessed with this salad for several months.  It seems to be more of a wintery salad – but the flavors are so good!  It’s hearty and crunchy –  beautiful and satisfying.  I highly recommend you try this before the brussel sprouts disappear for several months.  I continue to see them in my local Costco store – and soon they will be available again at local famer’s markets.  I found the recipe on a blog called Once Upon a Chef.  I have altered it just slightly.  I tend to like vinaigrette salad dressings plenty sour – so I have added additional lemon and a little vinegar to the dressing.  I am adding it to the blog since it’s one I continue to crave if I haven’t made it in several weeks.  The balance of kale and brussel sprouts is purely up to you – and I”ve even added shredded cabbage for an added texture and additional green.

I surely never thought I would crave kale – but I do with this salad.  Baby kale will work – but I think the dark green curly or lacinto are best for this.  I sometime chop it fine, but when I made this last week, I just tore the kale into bite size pieces.

Two different mustards add texture and flavor variety

Stir well to emulsify dressing – or place in a jar and shake well.

As with most Kale salads, I recommend you dress the salad well in advance of eating it – about 20-30 minutes – and it can hold up in the refrigerator for several hours – even overnight if you have leftovers.  There really is something to “massaging” the dressing into the salad.  If you get your hands (clean of course) into this salad and rub the dressing into the kale, it will soften the flavor without making the kale limp.  The salad is definitely a littel bitter with the uncooked brussel sprouts and the kale – but it’s a great counterpoint to the walnuts and lemony and mustardy vinaigrette.

Completed salad – a work of art and delicious!

Brussel sprout and kale salad with walnuts and parmesan

Serves 6 to 8 as a side dish salad

prep time about 20 minutes

allow 20-30 minutes after tossing for flavors to blend

Ingredients

for the salad:

• 1 cup walnuts
• 1 pound brussels sprouts, trimmed, halved and thinly sliced
• 1 pound Tuscan or curly kale (about 1 large bunch), thick center rib removed, leaves thinly sliced
• 1 cup coarsely grated or chopped Parmigiano Reggiano

for the dressing:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 2 lemons
• 1 Tbs cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard – (a combination of regular and seedy mustard is great)
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots, from one medium shallot
• 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with a silat or parchment paper. Bake the walnuts for 5-8 minutes, until toasted and fragrant. Check a few times to make sure they are not burning. Allow to cool then chop to medium size pieces.
2. Combine the brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl. Be sure to cut out the tough stem at the base of the brussel sprouts – they are tough to chew.
3. Make the dressing by combining all of the ingredients in a jar with tight fitting lid. Shake well to emulsify.  Taste to adjust salt, pepper and vinegar or lemon juice.
4. Pour over the vegetables. Add most of the walnuts and cheese, reserving some to garnish the platter, and toss well. I like to use my hands to really massage the dressing into the greens.
5. Let the salad sit at room temperature for 20 – 30 minutes (or up to a few hours in the fridge) to allow the flavors to meld and the vegetables to soften. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
6. Transfer to a serving dish and top with remaining walnuts and cheese. Best served at room temperature.

Notes

Thanks to Once Upon a Chef blogger who posted this from a Bon Appetite recipe.