When you think of kale salad, do you think of a bland, rabbit-food-like green slop pile? Get ready for that to change.
The components of this salad from Balducci’s (there’s one in Scarsdale) Chef Jason Miller include kale (replete with vitamins, minerals, and disease fighting antioxidants), parsnips (providing dietary fiber, potassium, vitamin C, and folate, which, among another benefits, promotes nervous system health), carrots (a great source of Vitamin A), cauliflower (full of anti-inflammatory nutrients), and beets (packed with fiber, folic acid, and more). It’s healthy without sacrificing deliciousness, and easy-to-make without being boring—here’s how to make it:
Balducci’s Roasted Vegetables Kale Salad with Warm Lemon Dressing
(Serves 4)
Salad ingredients:
1 large head cauliflower
1 bag baby carrots
2 parsnips, peeled and cut to match baby carrots size
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large bundle of kale
2 medium beets, roasted* and skinned
Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Cut core from cauliflower, break off florets, and cut them into ½-inch thick wedges. Place on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, add prepared carrots and parsnips and drizzle olive oil over vegetables and sprinkle with salt, pepper and fresh minced garlic. Roast, about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
For kale, strip out center stem with hands or trim out with a knife. Slice leaves crosswise into thin ribbons. Dice the roasted beets.
Lemon dressing ingredients:
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh thyme with tiny leaves removed from stem and minced
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
½ tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Whisk together the olive oil, thyme, lemon juice and zest with mustard until emulsified. Sprinkle in salt and pepper to taste.
To serve:
4 oz Feta cheese, crumbled
¼ cup pomegranate arils, optional
Right before you are ready to mix salad with dressing, place in a microwave safe cup and microwave for 30 seconds. Toss kale greens with a few teaspoons of warm dressing until lightly coated. Add roasted vegetables and feta cheese. Drizzle with additional warm dressing as needed. Garnish top of salad with optional pomegranate arils.
*Scrub fresh beets under cold water and trim away stems, pat dry and season with 1 Tbsp olive oil, wrap in foil and roast in 350 degree oven for 45 minutes or until soft to the touch.