I love having a salad in the mix on Thanksgiving because it’s a bright, vegetal bite that you don’t have to cook! This kale salad celebrates the best of what late fall has to offer, with crunchy, bitter kale, sweet, juicy oranges, tangy goat cheese, and bursts of tart pomegranate seeds. My citrus vinaigrette is super simple and packed with zest, so you really use every part of the orange. Finally, the one step you cannot skip in this recipe is to massage the kale before you assemble the salad; it makes a huge difference in making sure the greens have a more tender, palatable texture!
Kale Salad with Orange, Hazelnuts and Goat Cheese
Persons
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Total Time
30 minutes
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- ¼ cup orange juice
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
For the Salad
- ¾ cup hazelnuts
- 1 bunch lacinato kale (about 8 ounces), washed and dried
- 1 (4 ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled into large pieces
- 2 oranges, peeled and cut into ½ inch wheels
- ¾ cup fresh pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries
Instructions
For the Dressing
- In a small mixing bowl, whisk together orange zest and juice, olive oil, white wine vinegar and Dijon mustard. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to your liking. Set aside while preparing the salad.
For the Salad
- In a small skillet over low heat, toast hazelnuts for 10 minutes, tossing frequently, or until fragrant and lightly browned. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool while preparing kale.
- Working in batches, cut kale into large ribbons by gathering a large handful of leaves, bunching them together tightly, then use a knife to slice into 3/4-inch-thick pieces.
- Transfer kale to a large serving bowl and top with ⅓ of the dressing. Use your hands to massage the leaves until they become soft and wilted. They should be reduced in the bowl by about half. Pour the remaining dressing over the kale and toss to fully coat.
- Take the cooled hazelnuts and roughly chop before adding overtop the kale. Garnish kale with goat cheese, orange wheels and pomegranate seeds or dried cranberries. Serve immediately.
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