Kale Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

Not all kale salads are created equal. Yes, I'm sure you've endured the minimalist version, lemon juice, salt, olive oil, maybe some avocado to sooth the harsh bitterness of kale, particularly the curly kind. And you felt virtuous and healthy as your stomach protested the harshness of the roughage entering your system. Everything has its place, and so does a delicious kale salad. Really, it's ok to eat the tasty salads as well.

Bitter greens are great for you but that doesn't mean you need to have a bitter or overly acidic dressing. This honey mustard dressing provides the balance that I believe bitter green salads should have. Adding in the radishes brings a bit of pepper and crunch to the salad. Shaving some hard cheese like Asiago, Parmesan or even Pecorino Romano into the salad is completely optional, but the creamy nuttiness adds another level of flavor complexity.

And if you love your minimalist kale salads, good for you! Just remember those people with less hardy stomach might actually enjoy kale salads when they're dressed with something a little more enticing!

Kale and Radish Salad with Honey Mustard Dressing

1/2 bunch curly kale, ribs removed, ripped into bite size pieces
2 tablespoons Larrupin Sauce (or make your own based on this recipe)
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lemon
3 radishes, slice on a mandoline
2 green onions, slice in very thin rounds
2 inch piece of asiago cheese
salt
pepper

Squeeze lemon juice over the kale and message it into the kale and let it sit for at least 30 minutes to help tenderize the kale. Whisk the Larrupin and cider vinegar, and slowly whisk in olive oil.  Pour dressing over kale and toss well with tongs or with your hands. Add radishes and green onions and toss well. Using a vegetable peeler, shave cheese into the salad. Season with salt and pepper.

Hugs!

Recipes currently inspiring me:

Baked Thai Corn Fritters at Chez Cayenne
Cantaloup Yogurt Soup with Ginger, Lime and Mint at Flavors of the Sun
Quinoa Moussake with Garlic Cashew Bechamel at SpaBettie