Crispy Autumn Kale Salad
User Reviews
5
Crispy Autumn Kale Salad
Description
Crispy Autumn Kale Salad begins by massaging fresh kale leaves with olive oil, apple cider, salt, nutmeg, and pepper before roasting them to crispness without browning. This technique softens the tough kale while keeping it crisp. Meanwhile, thick-cut bacon is cooked until fat renders and crisps, followed by a quick sauté of shallots, garlic, diced sweet potato, and diced tart apple, seasoned with cinnamon and salt for a sweet-savory combination.
Toasted pine nuts add nuttiness and crunch, while pomegranate arils bring bursts of bright tartness. Crumbled goat cheese contributes creaminess, rounding out complex flavors and textures. This salad can be served warm or at room temperature as a side or light main dish showing a variety of fall produce and savory ingredients.
The varied textures and balance of sweet, savory, and tart elements make it suitable for autumn meals, providing hearty greens alongside complementary cooked toppings and fresh elements.
Ingredients
- 1 kale torn from stems and torn into pieces, large bunch
- 2 teaspoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons apple cider fresh
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 lices Bacon chopped, thick-cut
- 1 onion diced, or shallot
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 sweet potato diced, small
- 1 apple diced, Honeycrisp variety
- 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 ounces goat cheese crumbled
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 1/4 cup pomegranate arils
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place kale in a large bowl and massage olive oil, apple cider, 1/8 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and pepper into for 1-2 minutes. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. Toss well and roast for 5-10 minutes more, until slightly crispy but not golden.
- While kale is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered (about 2 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add the shallot, garlic, sweet potatoes and apples to the skillet, tossing with remaining salt and cinnamon. You want the sweet potato and apple finely diced, about the same size as the bacon bits and only slightly larger than the pom arils and pine nuts. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
- In a small saucepan, add pine nuts and toast over low heat for 5-6 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
- Combine kale with apples and sweet potatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese and pom arils. I don’t find this needs any sort of additional dressing (the kale will not stay crispy) but feel free to add some if you’d like.
Notes
- The recipe is inspired by a coconut kale salad from Super Natural Everyday with autumn flavors.
- Massaging kale before roasting helps soften it while preserving some crisp texture.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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