You’re going to like this wholesome lemon kale salad with zesty citrus dressing. The recipe makes an enormous batch of leafy greens to share, and there’s loads of lemon French dressing to go round.

Desk of Contents

1. Kale choice
2. Chopping the leaves
3. A fast approach to cut back bitterness
4. Make a lemon dressing
5. Add further texture and taste
6. What to serve this with
7. Kale Salad with Lemon French dressing Recipe

When the craving hits for a wholesome meal that truly tastes good, give this Italian-inspired kale salad recipe a attempt. I exploit easy components to make this vibrant facet dish. It’s going to be an enormous hit on the dinner desk. So seize an enormous bunch of leafy greens, and begin chopping.

I’ve a few simple suggestions for reducing down the bitterness of the tough and sturdy kale. Massaging the leaves, then tossing them in a tart and savory dressing makes every chunk extra satisfying. Paired with ripe tomatoes, crunchy almonds, and savory parmesan cheese makes for a easy but gourmand dish.

Kale choice

I exploit curly inexperienced kale for this recipe. The tough texture on the leaves and wavy form is good for catching the lemon dressing and even coating. You should utilize different kinds of kale, like purple kale, which is a superb substitute and has a vibrant colour for further phytonutrients.

Chopping the leaves

Kale is offered in bunches, with particular person massive stalks that must be lower down. The inflexible stem may be very chewy when eaten uncooked, so it’s greatest to take away it. I lower off the tender leaves utilizing a chef’s knife. For salads, lower the leaves into ½-inch thick items, so it’s simpler to chew.

A fast approach to cut back bitterness

The bitter style of kale intensifies with chewing. That’s as a result of contained in the cell partitions of the vegetable are sulfur-containing compounds known as isothiocyanates. The astringent compounds launch when breaking down the leaves. To fight this, briefly therapeutic massage the leaves to convey these undesirable flavors to the floor.

Rinse the chopped items completely with cool water to take away the bad-tasting compounds. To additional masks the bitterness when consuming, the acidic and savory French dressing works effectively to coat the style buds earlier than the astringent flavors are perceived. 

Make a lemon dressing

The French dressing dressing is a straightforward mixture of freshly squeezed lemon juice, numerous fragrant zest, and extra-virgin olive oil. I exploit an honest quantity of Dijon mustard for a nice spicy style. Additionally, utilizing dried Italian seasonings gives concentrated herbaceous notes. Nevertheless, you need to use freshly chopped basil, parsley, and oregano. 

Freshly grated parmesan cheese and salt improve the flavors of the dressing whereas upping the savory style. Ensure that to slowly add the oil to the liquid, whisking vigorously to interrupt the fats into tiny droplets. This course of retains the dressing from separating again into their liquid or oil phases immediately. 

Add further texture and taste

There’s quite a lot of vibrant components with completely different textures to spice up the dish’s Italian flavors. Juicy child tomatoes present a pure sweetness that helps to stability the style of the kale.

Sliced almonds add a pleasant crunch issue. You should utilize different kinds of nuts like walnuts or pine nuts. Aged parmesan cheese provides nuttiness to the salad. I additionally like to make use of pecorino romano or small items of recent mozzarella.

What to serve this with