Tuscan Kale Salad

5 from 1 ratings

A zesty Tuscan kale salad with a healthy homemade Italian dressing, shredded Tuscan kale, onions and seasoned bread crumb crunchies! The perfect balance of flavors for an easy side dish or as the base for a filling salad meal.

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: lunch, Salad, Side Dish

Cuisine: Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: side salads

Author: Chef Lindsey

Ingredients

Italian dressing :

½ cup olive oil
1/3 cup red wine vinegar or white wine vinegar
1 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoons granulated sugar
½ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
¾ teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon dried basil
½ teaspoon dried rosemary
½ teaspoons red pepper flakes
½ teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Bread crumb crunchies:

2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon onion powder
⅛ teaspoon garlic powder
pinch kosher salt a pinch using 3 fingers
½ cup panko breadcrumbs

For assembly:

1 bunch Tuscan kale
¼ yellow onion or Vidalia, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
3-4 tablespoons Italian dressing recipe above, to taste
kosher salt to taste

Instructions

Prepare the dressing:

In a large salad shaker bottle (I love this shaker from OXO) combine all the ingredients for the salad dressing. Shake well and set aside.

Prepare the breadcrumb crunchies:

Add olive oil, garlic powder, and onion powder to a small sauté pan. Warm it up over medium heat.
Once the oil is warm (not smoking!), add the bread crumbs and a large, 3 finger pinch, of kosher salt. Stir to coat all the breadcrumbs with the oil mixture and reduce heat to low.
Continue cooking until the breadcrumbs smell toasty and are a nice golden brown.
Pour onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet to cool completely before using or storing.

Assemble the Tuscan kale salad:

Wash one bunch of Tuscan (lacinato) kale and remove the kale stems and central ribs. Discard them before slicing the kale leaves into ¼ inch thick ribbons. Place kale in a large bowl lined with a paper towel or clean kitchen towel. This will soak up any residual water.
With a knife, thinly slice ¼ of an onion or half a very small onion. Place the small pieces on sliced kale.
Ideally about 20 minutes before serving, add the parmesan cheese, Italian dressing and a pinch of salt. Toss with tongs or salad forks to coat. Taste and adjust seasoning or dressing as desired.
Toss in breadcrumb crunchies right before serving.

Notes

Yield – 4 side salad servings

Flavor Tips – Quality olive oil will make all the difference.

Variations – Try different cheeses and fruits like goat cheese, pecorino, dried tart cherries or raisins.

Storage – Leftovers store well up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Nutrition