Tuscan Kale Salad

Photo by Quentin Bacon, food styling by Suzanne Lenzer, and prop styling by Maeve Sheridan

This is my take on the Tuscan Kale Salad I order nearly every time I visit my favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant, Gennaro, on Manhattan’s Upper West Side. I try to branch out because everything there is so delicious, but I just can’t seem to pass up the deep green shreds of tender kale tossed in a softly sweet vinaigrette with a crunch of toasted pine nuts and plump raisins. Massaging the dressing into the kale a bit with your hands softens it to the perfect texture and using some of the water the raisins soak in, along with a touch of honey provides sweetness without refined sugar. Who’d have thought kale could be so irresistible?

Ingredients

3 tablespoons raisins
1/3 cup hot water
3 tablespoons pine nuts
1 bunch Tuscan (lacinato) kale (about 3/4 pound)
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions

Place the raisins in a small bowl. Add the hot water and allow the raisins to soak while you prepare the rest of the salad.

Toast the pine nuts in a small dry skillet over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown and fragrant, about 3 minutes.

Remove the center ribs from the kale, then cut the leaves very thinly into shreds.

In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, honey, salt, and 1 tablespoon of the raisin soaking water. Add the dressing to the kale and massage it in with your hands so that the kale is well coated and begins to soften, about 30 seconds.

Drain the raisins and add them to the kale along with the pine nuts, and toss to combine.

Makes 4 servings

Serving size: 3/4 cup

Calories 170; Total Fat 12g (Sat Fat 1.5g, Mono Fat 6.6g, Poly Fat 3.0g); Protein 3g; Carb 16g; Fiber 2g; Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 170mg; Added sugars 4g

Excellent Source of: Manganese, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K

Good Source of: Copper