What, you don’t think kale slaw is exciting? Your heart doesn’t leap, your pulse doesn’t quicken, at the very thought of that chewy, crunchy, green stuff? Okay, fine, mine doesn’t either. But I do like trying new things, and I also like using the food in my fridge before it goes bad. And that’s how this Great Kale Adventure got started.
Once upon a time, I had a bunch of kale. Then, I got a second bunch, not remembering that the first bunch still had to be consumed. Oh, no! Two bunches of kale! How on earth could I use all of this green stuff before it went bad?
Well, once upon an earlier time, I bought an incredibly delicious, incredibly expensive, container of kale slaw from my local health food shoppe. And ever since then, I’d been wanting to try my hand at making it. So, now I had my chance. I consulted the great and powerful interwebs for recipes, but they all called for ingredients I didn’t have on hand. Being excessively lazy, I wanted to make the slaw using only what I already had in my kitchen, so the following is what I came up with.
(Pssst! Are you still with me? You’re not dozing off at all this exciting kale-versation, are you? Well, wake up and smile, my friend, because here comes the recipe!)
Kale Slaw Recipe
1 bunch of kale (about six cups of whole leaves) stems included
3 Tbsp lemon juice (separated: 2 T and 1 T)
3 Tbsp olive oil (separated: 2 T and 1 T)
2 green onions, white and green parts included
3 Tbsp chopped nuts (your choice)
Salt
Wash the kale thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels (leaves do not have to be completely dry). Chop kale into bite-sized pieces, including the stems (crunchy!).
Put kale in mixing bowl. Drizzle 1 Tbsp of lemon juice over leaves, and sprinkle on a little salt. Massage juice and salt into leaves. (Note: this massage does not require soothing ocean sounds or scented candles, but do what feels right.) After massage, let kale relax on the counter while you do the next part.
Chop the green onions, and sauté them in 1 Tbsp of olive oil. (I like to cook the white parts for a minute first, then the green parts.) Let the cooked onions cool in a small bowl or jar.
When onion has cooled, add the other 2 Tbsp of olive oil and lemon juice, and mix. Pour over kale, sprinkle with a little more salt, and toss thoroughly. Top with chopped nuts and toss again.
And that’s it! You can eat it right away, or let it chill in the fridge for awhile. It will yield about four cups, at about 110 calories per cup (for fewer calories, reduce the amount of olive oil and/or nuts; it will still be yummy).
Hey, I think this is the first recipe I’ve ever posted to my blog! If you try it, please let me know how it turns out.
Question: are you a kale eater? If so, do you have any favorite recipes? Feel free to post links in the comments! 🙂