How to Make the Perfect Lemony Kale Side Salad

Kale has been living its best life in the last decade and a half. For ages, people have used this bitter, fibrous green for its hardiness during winter, but more recently it has been sequestered as a garnish. Now, it appears everywhere. There are tons of recipes incorporating kale from chips to pastas and even the word “KALE” graces too many T-shirts and sweatshirts, casually worn by hipsters and gen Z alike. It is definitely out of hand, so here’s a straightforward recipe for a lemony kale side salad that will help bring this vegetable back down to Earth.

My lemony kale salad recipe is simple yet delicious. I use raw kale, which people have many opinions about, and massage it with lemon juice and olive oil to reduce the bitterness and soften the fibrous leaves. I top it with shaved pecorino and walnuts for the perfect finish. This lemony kale side salad is the perfect accompaniment to heavy pasta dishes for a perfectly well rounded meal.

Makes 4 side salads

Ingredients:

8 ounces of kale, rib removed and chopped

1 carrot, sliced

8 ounces of cherry tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup of walnuts

1/4 cup of pecorino, shaved

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Freshly cracked black pepper to serve.

Instructions:

1. In a large salad bowl, add the kale, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Make sure the kale is fully covered in the lemon juice and olive oil by massaging the kale by hand or the back of the spoon.
2. Top with carrot, tomatoes, walnuts, and pecorino cheese.
3. To serve, divide into bowls and top with fresh black pepper if desired.