kale salad with honey dressing and pine nuts

A couple weekends ago, Cory and I made the trek to the Mission to pay a visit to Rainbow Grocery, a food co-op.  We only make a few trips to Rainbow a year, so whenever we’re there we stock up on stock up on pantry staples such as lentils, quinoa, couscous, oats, wheat berry, coconut flakes, coconut oil, honey and sweet treats like dried fruits.  I rarely ever stray outside of the bulk section (which by the way, is massive), but I was lured into the produce section and quickly laid my eyes on a beautiful bunch of red Russian kale and tossed it in my shopping basket.  By the time we arrived home, we were hungry and I quickly prepared this salad to serve with leftover chicken and roasted broccoli.  I loved the salad so much that it became a recurring side dish for the rest of the week.  It almost feels like a cheat to post this here since it’s so simple, but it was such a delicious and no fuss salad.  And of course, I don’t need to tell you how good kale is for you.  We quickly ran out of red Russian kale over the course of a few days, so I bought green kale to make even more of this salad and that worked just as well.

Kale Salad with Honey Dressing and Pine Nuts
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For the salad
1 bunch kale (green or red Russian)
1/4 cup pine nuts

For the dressing
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
salt & pepper, to taste
red pepper flakes (optional), to taste
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Chop the kale by folding the leaves in half and slicing off the ribs. Cut the kale into small pieces and transfer to a large bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes (if using). Slowly drizzle in the olive oil, whisking constantly. Take a taste and adjust the flavors, if necessary.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat (there’s no need to add any extra oils). When hot, add the pine nuts. Stir them constantly for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly browned. Remove from heat.

Toss the dressing to into the kale. Serve on individual plates and garnish with pine nuts.

Serves 6-8, as a side dish

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2. mixed salad with tahini dressing
3. salad with carrot ginger dressing
4. feta and cucumber salad
5. daoud basha (meatballs with pine nuts and tomato sauce)

Tags: easy, gluten-free, salad, side dish, vegetarian