Kale Lentil Salad

Written By

I am not a big salad person, but this is one of the few salads I happily eat as a meal. It is filling and delicious even after several days in the fridge. Great for taking to work for lunch during the week.

Kale Lentil Salad Ingredients

  • 10 oz. kale

  • 3-4 scallions

  • 4 cloves garlic

  • ½ cup almonds, chopped

  • 1 lemon

  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 ½ cup Pardina lentils

  • 1 tsp. ground cumin

  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

  • 1 cup Castelvetrano olives, pitted and roughly chopped

  • 5 oz. feta (optional)

  • kosher salt

  1. Put a pot of salted water on to boil. When it comes to a boil add the lentils and cook until tender, but not falling apart. This is usually 20 to 30 minutes, but follow the package directions. When lentils are done cooking, drain and let cool.

  2. Wash the kale. Pat it dry with towels or spin in a salad spinner. Remove thick stems and chop into bite size pieces. Put the kale in a large bowl, sprinkle with kosher salt and massage the salt into the kale. Massage until kale is darker and softer. This takes a couple of minutes.

  3. Chop scallions, keeping green and white parts separate. Add greens to the bowl with the kale. Put whites in a small skillet. Use a vegetable peeler or sharp knife to remove several large strips of skin from the lemon (taking as little white pith as possible).

  4. Mince the garlic. Add the lemon strips and olive oil to the pan. Cook over medium heat until onions are tender. Add garlic and almonds cook until garlic starts to brown and nuts are toasty (if your almonds are raw, give them a 2 minute head start before adding the garlic). Add the cumin and red pepper flakes and remove from the heat. Let cool.

  5. Remove and discard lemon peel. Add olives, feta (if using), nut mixture, lentils, spiced oil, and juice of the lemon to the kale and green onions. Mix well. Taste and add salt as needed.

Notes:

I usually use smoked almonds which add a nice layer of flavor to the salad. Plain roasted or raw almonds or another nut will also work. If you don't eat nuts, consider adding roasted sunflower seeds or crunchy roasted chickpeas to get the protein and crunch.

Next

Pumpkin Bread