I feel healthier just by looking at kale.
Like, I’ll be grocery shopping and filling my cart with the usual (butter, sugar and chocolate chips) then just go stand in the produce department and gaze at the kale before quickly pushing my cart away to the check-out, grabbing an extra dark chocolate bar as I go.
This strategy works best after an evening filled with too much wine and too many cookies. And you don’t actually have to eat the kale (ick?), you just have to stare at it for awhile.
Works like a charm.
Let me preface this recipe by telling you upfront that before now, I really hated raw kale. Cooked? Fine. I can do that. Especially when doused with a sweet and spicy barbecue sauce and eaten with creamy cannellini beans. Yum.
But raw kale salads? No thanks. I’d rather chew on the sole of my shoe. The whole “massaged kale salad” craze a few years ago left me downright hungry and confused.
This is not that.
This, my friends, is a kale salad for people that hate kale.
But if you absolutely love kale and can’t live without it, this salad is for you, too.
Heck, if you’ve never even tried kale before and the sight of green vegetables scare you, this salad is for you, too.
It’s hearty and slightly salty…I think it’s downright addicting. But then again, I have a borderline unhealthy obsession with all things feta.
The best thing though, is that this salad comes together in only about five minutes and keeps for a few days in the fridge! In fact, it will be even better on the second day.
Kale Salad with Walnuts and Feta
serves 4
1 large bunch dinosaur kale, stems discarded and torn into bite sized pieces
1 shallot, minced
1/8th tsp sea salt (just a sprinkle)
2 T extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup roughly chopped walnuts
In a large bowl, combine the kale, salt, shallot and olive oil. Toss well. Add the feta and walnuts. Serve immediately or keep for up to five days in the fridge.
kale for dinner means chocolate chip cookie loaf for dessert.
Pin It
{ 91 comments… read them below or add one }
Oddly, I’ve never actually had kale. I find it really intimidating. I’ve been procrastinating on kale chips for about two years now. One day, kale, one day!
I don’t know why, but between this recipe and another one I recently saw for kale salad, I’m actually tempted to try it! However, this time of year I’m not sure I could get my hands on beautiful kale like you have in the picture – if it was summer and the tailgate market was running, I’d run there right now.
you should! It really is tasty and hearty!
I must confess I am obsessed with kale. I’d probably choose it over chocolate. Crazy, right?
Yes, very crazy
But major props to you! I’m jealous!
crazy!
Looks delicious! I think Kale is one of prettiest vegetables out there
So glad you posted this! I so want to love kale, and I’m really trying hard to love it. But I’m a little confused by the different types available, any advice?
I really like the dinosaur variety because it’s less “tough” than the others and doesn’t taste as bitter. It’s more like thick lettuce!
The only form of kale I like so far is kale chips… may have to try this!
Hmmm… not sure if my unsophisticated palate could handle this. Greens do make me convulse, you know. But I love kale chips. I think I need to suck it up and try it.
Hmm…I should really start using herbs and spices and not just dumping spaghetti sauce and cheese over all my salads and vegetables….;)
Feta makes everything better, so I think this recipe could be a real winner!!
Love kale, and love salads. This one sounds like a winner. Thanks Jenna!
I tried kale once and desperately wanted to like it. Not so much. But I do love feta. And walnuts. I think it’s time for another try…
I feel healthier just looking at kale, too. I love adding it to salads, etc. for an extra boost!
Kale is a true superfood. It’s def too bitter to eat raw though, I agree! I’ve found that if I finely chop it and throw it in with other kinds of lettuce, I can eat it raw that way (because there’s dressing on it). It’s best sauteed with garlic and onion though
I’m gonna make your salad!
I adore kale! It’s smooth and lovely in soups. And it’s hearty and rustic when sauteed with onions, garlic, lemon juice and olive oil. Sometimes I’ll shred a carrot to “sweeten” things up.
I can’t wait to try this dish. It sounds fabulous. Especially since I also have an obsession with all things feta-related.
A salad that keeps in the fridge… and that is even better a day later?! Count me in!
i had no idea about this dinosaur kale! i was going to ask if there were different kinds because yours didn’t look anything like the kind i just bought! which do you like better?
I like this variety (dinosaur kale) better because it doesn’t seem as “tough” as the regular curly kind! Give it a chance!
I like your theory about the chocolate chip loaf and definitely agree! I love feta with “heartier” greens, but have never tried kale! I always told myself if I did venture out and try kale…it would have to be in the form of a chip, but this had me reconsidering
You beautiful being. I adore kale (even raw in smoothies), and I have EVERY INGREDIENT IN MY KITCHEN RIGHT NOW. Looks like dinner’s gonna be delicious…
I love it when that happens! Let me know how you like it!
oh goodness, this looks really good. i love kale and so does my husband (surprisingly). i have never seen this variety of kale though… will have to search it out
This cracks me up! My mum is forever trying to get me to eat kale. She even wants me to plant some in my little garden patch… um, why??
I know it’s good for you but I’ll stick to spinach, thanks very much.
This cracks me up! My mum is forever trying to get me to eat kale. She even wants me to plant it in my little garden patch… um, why?
I know it’s super healthy but I’ll stick to spinach, thanks very much.
hahaha I love that she went so far as to having you plant a garden! That’s so awesome!
Ohh this salad looks great! I love kale – it makes a great wrap, like lettuce!
i felt healthier just seeing this title pop up in my google reader!
I do love kale though…so it won’t make being healthy too hard today!
love,
cathy b.
This salad sounds so good. I usually stay away from kale, but look forward to trying this soon!
Interesting! I’m definitely not a fan of raw kale either, but I think i want to give this a try
Oh, I love kale too. I recently made a lime avocado kale salad, and it was fantastic. I’m all for finding new ways to prepare this awesome green. Feta and walnuts sound like the perfect way to try it next time.
lime avocado sounds very interesting and delicious!
Yay I’m so glad someone’s come up with a NICE kale salad – I’ve tried so many ‘massaged’ raw kale ones and they all make me feel ill! I’ll be trying this soon
What about people who don’t hate, but just don’t prefer kale?
then you should try this, too. And then eat a cookie.
I love all things kale… this sounds delicious!
This summer, I grew the most beautiful kale in my garden. Unfortunately, I had no idea what to do with it. and it scared me a little. so I ended up throwing most of it in the compost bin. FOR SHAME.
I’m definitely bookmarking this recipe to save for next summer
I am unsure if I like Kale, therefore must make this salad. Thanks Jenna!
let me know if you like it!
I love kale but only cooked kale; it’s way too tough raw. This salad looks great! Salty kale chips are my favorite though.
I love massaged kale AND cooked kale. This looks delicious.
I had a kale salad for dinner last night. Except mine was tossed with bacon and bacon fat. It kind of made my day.
wow. your kale totally beats my kale!
Haha. Well I love me some massaged kale but this looks amazing too!
I love kale! It is definitely one of my favorite vegetables and this preparation looks delicious.
Still, I have a hunch that I might enjoy the dessert, too.
eating the kale is just an excuse to eat the dessert!
I’ve been searching for some good Kale recipes… I’m going to have to add this one to the grocery list!
I have a very similar gateway to Kale recipe! Instead of feta , you make a dressing by blending together blue cheese and buttermilk, and letting the kale marinate in that for at least two hours. You sprinkle on the walnuts just before serving. So good and it wins over all my non veggie loving friends.
I do agree that in general, I prefer my kale cooked , but this salad is divine!
I actually like raw kale…maybe even more than cooked kale! I usually mess it up when I cook it…like it’s burny or soggy…and yuck. I usually do a raw, massaged kale salad with garlic, olive oil and sea salt…I even like to put bacon in there from time to time…
Jenna,
Jenna,
Sorry for the above mistake. Anyway, you must have read my mind. I had a kale salad at a restaurant last weekend that I want to replicate at home. This recipe helps alot. My salad had parmesan cheese, toasted pinenuts, and golden raisins. I loved the sweet and salty combo.
Hah! I actually had massaged kale for the first time yesterday for lunch.
And today I’m having raw kale in my roast beef sandwich.
I’m one of those weirdos that likes raw kale!
perfect meal to me! I love kale so much. This salad sounds great.
That bread looks so damn good too.
I always save room for dessert:) Will be making this salad soon so I can have 2 helpings of dessert:)
It’s true–putting kale in your grocery cart (or just gazing at it, as you mentioned) makes you feel healthy. I bought some last night, and the cashier said: “This is healthiest looking basket of groceries I’ve ever seen. It looks like a grocery basket somebody would get in the movies before going on a fancy little picnic.”
This looks perfect for a girl who finds very little use for kale. The feta and walnuts sold me:-).
I’m thinking some dried cranberries would also be awesome in this. Greens with feta/walnuts/cranberries is my very favorite salad combo
.
I’ve never, ever had kale before (I know. How can I even call myself a blogger? haha) But with some feta mixed in, I don’t see how it can go wrong…
YUM! Sounds fabulous!
Amber’s Notebook
Kale is absolutely disgusting. Although to be fair, I have never tried it cooked. But I do like spinach raw and hate it cooked. So we’ll see!
If you toss/coat your chocolate chips in flour before you add them to the batter, they won’t sink to the bottom of the loaf as much.
love kale chips. love kale in soups (i’ve made both sweet potato soup with kale and bnut squash and kale minetrone–pure awesomeness!). raw kale? meh. but i’ll give this a go!
I’ve never tried kale – I’ve been a little afraid too, but I think you have me convinced.
OMG, Jenna…this looks amaaaazing!!! I’m currently home on my lunch break shoveling roasted veggies in my mouth but I’m already planning on making your kale salad for dinner. Does it taste similar to cooked collards?!? If only I had a little elf that would have the chocolate chip loaf ready for me by the time my shift is over
I could so get down with this. YUM.
I’ve never had Kale, but this looks pretty delicious, and anything with feta has to be good right? Looks like I’ll be adding Kale to my ever growing grocery list!
That looks great. I love Kale so i’ll have to make this salad too.
That looks great. I love Kale so i’ll have to make this salad too.
“The whole “massaged kale salad” craze a few years ago left me downright hungry and confused.”-
OMG you crack me up! I do love my raw vegan foods but they are not for everyone and i totally can understand that logic. And I love that you call it like you see it! Thank you for keeping it real, Jenna
And for this recipe. It looks great (even tho I do like massaged kale too…lol)
Your writing is such a pleasure to read! So witty. I tried Kale and hated it :/ But maybe I’ll give it another chance with feta
I have to try this! I made your BBQ beans and kale and loved it!
Nothing is better than kale.
Stir-fried with garlic, and maybe some shiitake mushrooms?
Even better: with a juicy piece of seared salmon on the side.
you’ve convinced me. i will try kale this week!
threw this together with some chopped apples and a little balsamic vinegar to soften up the kale. SO. GOOD!
I sort of feel like you were reading my mind with this post. Though I like the massaged kale salads, I only like the ones that the Whole Foods bar makes. Not a cheap habit. Will have to give this one a whirl!
This recipe looks great! I love kale.
Also, I have a hunch I might enjoy the chocolate chip cookie loaf…seeing as my favorite dessert is chocolate chip pound cake.
Do you think they might be similar?
I ate this today for lunch and it was AWESOME!
wahoo!!! I ate it for lunch AND dinner tonight. Bam!
I actually really like the taste of raw kale! Whenever I cook with it, I always find myself snacking on a few of the raw leaves first.
I LOVE kale.
My favourite way to eat it is massaged with olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic and red chili flakes. And then I dump daiya cheese all over it (it tastes kinda like cheez whiz, so in a word, AWESOME) and I toast a pita and make ‘pita crumbs’ by processing it. Cheesy, crunchy, lemony, spicy, garlicky. OMG.
I’m really excited about this! I just bought some kale and hhhhated it raw, so I’m looking forward to trying this with the rest of it. Thanks for the recipe!
Love kale & feta so this salad sounds delish! Question: do you mean lacinato kale?? I have never heard of lactino kale and wondering if this was a typo (happens to the best of us
) or if this is a new type of kale I have never tried…thanks!!
oops! Yes!
Love kale, it’s my favorite veggie…I see you use dinosaur kale in this recipe, isn’t it delicious? Looks great Jenna.
I’m always a bit scared of kale, I’v attempted to make Kale chips once, and I threw some into a Dhal I made last week, I think I just need to use it more!
i sent my husband to the grocery store and on the list was the ingredients to make this salad…he mistakenly got collards instead of kale, so i sauteed them down a bit with the shallot in evoo then added the walnuts and feta after it cooled. oh my goodness it was SO good, almost had a bit of sweetness to it. i would definitely recommend making this “mistake” too!
I followed this link from this week’s post of “healthy things”, made it today and I’m in LOVE! I’ve read a lot about kale salad lately, and love kale but had never tried it raw. That changed today thanks to you! This salad was amazing! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
My store only had one kind of kale and I don’t know which kind it was… but this was my first time trying kale, shallots and feta!! The shallots were a bit strong for me, I think next time I’ll just use a small red onion… and then it was just a tiny bit bland, so I added some red wine vinegar and it was AWESOME!!
I just tried this on the weekend, and even though i thought “whaaat only olive oil to dress it up?!” The feta makes up for that for sure. yummm it was really good! I may have drizzled a bit of honey into the mix too …
{ 5 trackbacks }