Give Your Next Kale Salad Some Extra Love And Heat Up Your Dressing
Kale salad has developed somewhat of a cult following for its robust, earthy flavors and versatility. For instance, you can easily throw it in a salad or blend it in a smoothie. Packed with an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, kale also serves as a nutritional powerhouse. However, its texture can present a culinary challenge thanks to its naturally tough and fibrous leaves. The dense and sturdy nature of raw kale leaves can create a chewy and challenging eating experience.
Luckily, various tenderizing methods have emerged, aiming to soften the kale leaves and enhance their palatability, but there's one tip kale enthusiasts may overlook. Heat your salad dressing.
When tossed with the kale and left to sit, the heat from a warm dressing will slightly wilt and soften the greens, making for a perfectly tasty salad. You may want to skip this tip if you wish to use a creamy dressing like Caesar, ranch, or blue cheese, as the heat can cause it to separate. However, an oil and vinegar-based dressing would work nicely.
Other ways to tame tough kale greens
The most common advice is to massage your kale leaves to break down some of their natural toughness and offset the bitterness. To do this effectively, first separate the leaves and remove the center stalks. Next, chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces and mix them in a bowl with extra-virgin olive oil, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, and a sprinkle of salt. After washing your hands, mix everything for a few minutes, massaging the kale leaves as you go. You'll notice the stiff leaves become more malleable.
If that seems like a lot of effort, you can achieve similar results by soaking your kale leaves in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. This method not only washes away isothiocyanates, which are the compounds that give kale its signature bitter taste, but it also boosts the bioavailability of the vegetable, meaning better nutrient uptake when consumed.
What to do with your perfectly tender kale
Now that your kale has taken on the perfect texture, the possibilities for using it in a salad are endless. Elevate your dining experience with low-lift kale recipes that effortlessly infuse these leafy greens with vibrant flavors and enticing textures, offering a delightful and wholesome feast for the senses.
Embrace the seasonal spirit with a hard apple cider-glazed chicken kale salad, which pairs kale with tart Granny Smith apples, boneless skinless chicken breast, and a tangy mustard dressing. The result is a deliciously balanced salad that could nab main entree credits.
Another kale salad perfect for winter is our harvest kale salad with honey-miso dressing. A colorful medley of butternut squash, dried cranberries, caramelized onions, and toasted pine nuts adorn this dish. This dressing, made from miso, honey, vinegar, and ginger, may take well to being warmed before use, meaning you can employ the heated dressing trick to help tenderize your kale before serving.