5.0 from 12 votes
Garlic Kale Salad with Lemon
This garlic kale salad was inspired by Il Corvo, Seattle. It has pecorino cheese, toasted pepitas, and a green, garlic confit dressing for a fresh hit of deliciousness!
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
40 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 261 kcal
Course:
Salad
Cuisine:
American
Ingredients
Green Goddess Salad Dressing
- 8 garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil or enough to cover garlic cloves in pan
- ¼ cup fresh parsley
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated (divided, set aside 2 tablespoons for garnish)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar
Assemble the Salad
- 10 oz kale chopped into small pieces
- 1 tablespoon olive oil for massaging the kale
- ½ tablespoon lemon juice
- ¼ cup Pepitas
- 2 tablespoons pecorino romano
Instructions
- Add 8 to 10 peeled cloves of garlic into a saucepan and add enough olive oil to cover the garlic - typically about ¼ cup. Cook on low flame for about 30 minutes until the garlic is soft (but it should not brown!)Alternatively, you can place the garlic in an oven-safe bowl, fill with olive oil so it covers the garlic and then roast at 250°F for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, shred 10 oz of kale into bite-sized chunks and place in a mixing bowl. Remove a tablespoon of olive oil from the garlic confit and add to the kale along with lemon juice evenly and massage the kale (softly press down on as many pieces as you can) and set aside
- To make the salad dressing: after 30 minutes, using a slotted spoon, remove the garlic pieces and transfer to a small blender or food processor. Add olive oil from garlic confit, along with ¼ cup of fresh parsley, ⅓ cup of grated pecorino Romano cheese, and 1 tablespoon each of lemon juice and apple cider vinegar. Pulse together to form a creamy green salad dressing
- Add ¼ cup of pepitas to a small sauce pan and toast them for about 4-5 minutes until they're crunchy. Toss the kale with the salad dressing and add the remaining pecorino and serve fresh!
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Depending on your pan, you might need to use more than the amount of olive oil suggested in this recipe. If so, use just ¼th cup in the dressing and save the rest to use for cooking as you normally do, except it tastes 10x better!
- You can replace the Pecorino Romano with any sharp hard cheese - but I recommend grating the cheese fresh before serving. Please also make sure to pick up a vegetarian version of this cheese since most varieties (if not labeled vegetarian) are made with animal rennet.
- You can substitute the pepitas with any toasted seed or nut; apple cider vinegar with red wine vinegar.
Nutrition Information
Calories
261kcal
(13%)
Carbohydrates
10g
(3%)
Protein
8g
(16%)
Fat
23g
(35%)
Saturated Fat
5g
(25%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
3g
Monounsaturated Fat
14g
Trans Fat
1g
Cholesterol
11mg
(4%)
Sodium
161mg
(7%)
Potassium
441mg
(13%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
1g
(2%)
Vitamin A
7443IU
(149%)
Vitamin C
93mg
(103%)
Calcium
240mg
(24%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 261
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 261kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 10g | 3% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 23g | 35% |
| Saturated Fat | 5g | 25% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 3g | 18% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 14g | 70% |
| Trans Fat | 1g | 50% |
| Cholesterol | 11mg | 4% |
| Sodium | 161mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 441mg | 9% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 7443IU | 149% |
| Vitamin C | 93mg | 103% |
| Calcium | 240mg | 24% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.