Crispy Kale Salad With Beets, Walnuts & Honey Vinaigrette

Last winter, my mom and I had a wonderful date night. We decided on the spur of the moment to grab a delicious lunch, watch a movie, and have a cup of coffee.

It was one of those perfect moments. Everything just fell into place. Although the movie has long since faded from memory, I’ll never forget having eaten.

It was the first time I had ever tasted kale.

It was crisp, sweet, and yet salty, full of flavor.

Compared to raw kale’s coarse and chewy texture, I was surprised at how delicate the texture was.

I’ve been dreaming about this salad ever since, and now that it’s beet and kale season again, I knew it was time to make my version.

I added toasted walnuts, cheese, and a honey vinaigrette, and the recipe was born.

The first time I made it, I felt like it could use a little more structure since the kale chips take up a lot of space on the plate without being too dense.

So the next time I added some raw, finely chopped kale. It was the perfect complement.

I’ve made it three days in a row and will probably make it again today.

As a bonus, I want to share that kale is a very healthy and seasonal vegetable right now.

It’s a great source of calcium, vitamins (especially K and C), and beta-carotene. It also contains iron.

It’s relatively high in fiber (6.2 grams per 100 grams), which is important for maintaining healthy digestion and preventing diseases like colon cancer.

It also contains 45 different flavonoids with various antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.

How cool is that?

Print Pin
No ratings yet

Crispy Kale Salad

Crispy Kale Salad With Beets, Walnuts & Honey Vinaigrette
Course Salad
Servings 4
Calories 233kcal

Ingredients

  • A big bunch of kale, about 16 leaves
  • 6 medium sized yellow beets, or another colour if your prefer those
  • 75 g walnuts
  • 75 g semi firm cheese e.g. prima donna, manchego, gruyere, or one of your own choice
  • Olive oil
  • Salt & pepper
  • ½ tsp hot chili powder

Honey vinaigrette

  • 3 tbsp oil olive oil, rapeseed oil or sunflower oil
  • 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tbsp honey
  • Salt & Pepper

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 400 °F / 200 °C.
  • Rinse and trim ends of beets and wrap them in foil, place them on parchment covered baking stone and place in the oven for approximately 1 hour, until at sharp knife easily cuts through.
  • Meanwhile rinse and dry the kale leaves. Grab 6 of them, remove leaves from stock and use a sharp knife (or a food processor) to chop them very finely. Use the rest of the leaves to make kale chips. Tore leaves from stock in pieces and place on a parchment covered baking stone, you might need two. Drizzle them with olive oil (approx. 1 Tbsp pr portion), chili powder, salt and pepper. Watch out for too much salt… Use your hands to massage the oil and spices into the leaves, and make sure they are spread out in only one layer.
  • When beets are done, turn down oven to approximately 300 F °/150 °C. Place kale in oven for approximately 15-20 min, and watch them like a hawk, they burn sooo easily. Give them a little spin half way through and switch positions in the oven, making sure they are not burning on either sides, and at the same time place the walnuts in the oven with the kale and give them a little roasting.
  • Remove foil form beets, gently use a knife to peel the beets and cut them into slices or slim boats
  • Make the vinaigrette by whisking all of the ingredients together.
  • Arrange the salad by adding raw chopped kale, beets and a couple of tsp vinaigrette and mix together. then add kale chips, walnuts, cheese and gently fold together a couple of times, top with a tsp vinaigrette and a few nut crumbs.

Notes

Serve with warm wholegrain bread (or my muesli buns which will be posted next) and cold butter, enjoy.
Tip. You can also just eat the kale crisps as they are as a snack. Just add a tsp honey before baking them, and voil!

Nutrition

Calories: 233kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 12g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Sodium: 1mg | Potassium: 91mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4IU | Vitamin C: 0.3mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 1mg