Lacinato Kale Salad With Dried Cranberries And Walnuts

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 1/2 lb dinosaur kale (1 large bunch) or 1/2 lb any young kale (1 large bunch)
• 3 ounces arugula (about 4 cups) or 3 ounces baby mizuna (about 4 cups)
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives or 1/3 cup other cured olive
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 small red sweet bell pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon walnut oil
• 2 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar, plus more to taste
• sea salt, to taste
• fresh ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/4 lb blue cheese, feta cheese (optional) or 1/4 lb sharp cheddar cheese, crumbled, to garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 toast the nuts lightly in a dry pan over low heat, stirring until they begin to turn golden and release their toasted fragrance. set aside to cool.
• 2 pour about 1/2 cup boiling water over the cranberries and leave them to soften until you are ready to toss into the salad, at least 15 minutes.
• 3 meanwhile, wash and dry the kale, slice away the stems and discard them. stack the greens and roll them into tight bundles, then slice very thinly with a sharp knife; you’re aiming for a shredded look. you should have about 6 cups of shredded kale, which will shrink quite a bit the moment it is tossed with the oil and vinegar. place the kale in a large bowl.
• 4 wash and dry the arugula, cut off any tough-looking stems and cut it in short pieces. toss the arugula with the kale.
• 5 slice the olives off their pits/stones and cut them in slivers. core and seed the red pepper, quarter it lengthwise and cut it in matchsticks. toss the olives, nuts and pepper with the kale.
• 6 drain the cranberries, then toss with the kale. toss in the olive and walnut oils, the vinegar, sea salt and pepper. taste the salad and correct the seasoning with a touch more salt or a drop of vinegar if it’s needed; how much salt you need will depend on how salty the olives are. just before serving, add the crumbled cheese if you like.
• 7 this salad keeps well for a day or so, though it will become softer as it sits. because it is sturdy, it can travel to a picnic or a potluck.