Black Kale Salad

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I’m still keeping meals light and out of the oven here in Arizona, and this Black Kale Salad is exactly what the doctor ordered. Oddly enough that statement is true on two different levels, lol I had an amazing doctor in Cedar Rapids that trained under Dr. Andrew Weil, and she is a strong supporter of eating more vegetables and almost no meat. Say what? Yes, she indeed supports the principles of…..

the high vegetable, low meat diets found in the Blue Zones all across the world. I read The Blue Zones Book {Amazon link} over a year ago, and it makes a lot of sense….but it means retraining your brain and taste buds!!

For someone like me that was raised NOT eating vegetables, things are much harder. Thankfully my kids love vegetables, now I just need to keep searching for delicious ways to get of them into  my own diet….and this Black Kale Salad is a keeper!!

I found a Kale Salad recipe in Andrew Weil’s cookbook “true food” {amazon link} that I wanted to try. I did not need 8 servings, and I was not in the mood to make breadcrumbs myself, so I made a couple of changes….but I stayed true to the pureness of the original.

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or measuring cup, and set aside…..

Wash, dry, and remove the ribs from your black kale…..

Slice into 1/4-inch strips……

Place kale in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Set salad aside and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes…..

Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped toast over the salad and toss to coat…..

Serve with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano …..

Just run a vegetable peeler down the side of your wedge of cheese.

Place leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

***I opted to add whole grain toast croutons to my salad, but you get a much better ratio of bread to kale if you chop them up like parsley instead of the squares that I used the first time***

So what is Black Kale, and how is it different than regular kale?

Kale is part of the cabbage family…and here I thought it was a type of lettuce. 😉

When you are walking around the produce section, you will usually find at least two different types:

Curly Kale and Lacinato “Dino” Kale which has longer spears and a darker, pebble type appearance. Black Kale has a deeper, earthier flavor that is less bitter than Curly Kale.

Dino Kale has many different names:

• Tuscan
• Dinosaur
• Cavolo Nero {literally means black cabbage}

So why is kale becoming so popular? Why should I eat it?

• Kale is low calorie, has zero fat, and is high in fiber.
• One cup of kale has 35 calories, five grams of fiber, more calcium per calorie than milk, and more iron per calorie than beef.
• Kale is high in vitamin A, which is good for vision and skin.
• Vitamin C which is helpful for your immune system, metabolism, and for hydration.
• Vitamin K for protection against various cancers.

I’m starting to see how you can give up meat and still get all of your nutrients through vegetables. I know, I’m a slow learner….but giving up bacon cheeseburgers still makes me sad, lol

I honestly did enjoy this salad, and there will be more meatless Mondays in the future….baby steps people, baby steps. 🙂

Enjoy!!

Black Kale Salad

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Serves	4
Prep time	40 minutes
Meal type	Main Course, Salad

A delicious Black Kale Salad with a light dressing, topped with shaved Parmesan and whole wheat croutons is the perfect light summer meal.

Ingredients

• Dressing
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/8 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 Small garlic cloves (pressed or mashed)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cracked fresh black pepper
• 1 Large bunch black kale (Tuscan, Russian, dinosaur)
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
• 1 Slice whole grain bread (toasted and chopped*)
• shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (to garnish)

Directions

Whisk dressing ingredients together in a small bowl, or measuring cup, and set aside.

Wash, dry, and remove the ribs from your black kale. Slice into 1/4-inch strips.

Place kale in a large bowl and toss with the dressing. Set salad aside and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and chopped toast over the salad and toss to coat.

Serve with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano .

Place leftover salad in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.

Note

If you like heat, substitute a pinch of red pepper flakes for the black pepper.

*I gave my toast a light spray of olive oil and sprinkled on a bit of salt and pepper for flavor.

This recipe will be partying at these link parties!