On the last day of CSA pickup at our local farm, they brought Kale back! So, we went wild and bought a bunch! We still have a little left, but we’ve been having a blast with it so far. We Started off our Kale barrage by making Pumpkin and Kale Chicken Biryani. After we made that one, we decided to back to the “Let’s just make in your face kale” idea that spawned our Kale Caesar! (with Grilled Chicken)…and so we made this Autumn themed Kale Salad!
This salad wound up being a perfect blend of a variety of flavours and textures. The bitterness of the kale was nicely balanced by the sweetness of the fuji apple and candied walnuts, the subtle heat of the red onion, and the creamy saltiness of the gorgonzola. From a textural standpoint, there was a lot of crunch to this salad, but the massaged kale, the Sous Vide style chicken breast, and the cheese added a dichotomous softness as well. In the end, this wound up being a perfect fall entree salad!
Time: 15 Minutes (+ Time if Making Chicken Fresh)
Ingredients (per Entree Salad):
- 3 Leaves of Kale
- 1/2 Fuji Apple
- 1/2 Chicken Breast
- A few Slices of Red Onion
- Crumbled Gorgonzola
- Candied Walnut
- Dressing of your Choice. We used Yogurt Blue Cheese.
Method:
- If using fresh Chicken Breast instead of precooked, Grill, Roast, or Sous Vide your meat until it’s cooked.
- While your chicken cooks, cut your kale by removing the stems, and then turning and cutting into ribbons. Then, transfer to a bowl, and massage to break down some of the cellular structure and soften the kale.
- Core and slice your apple.
- Dice your red onion.
- Assemble!
- Arrange a bottom layer of kale in a bowl.
- Top it with your red onion, walnuts, and gorgonzola.
- Add your apple slices along the side of the bowl (fanned out for dramatic effect).
- Slice your chicken, and add it across the top of your salad.
- Drizzle on your dressing.
- Devour, and enjoy!
