If you’re still not convinced that a kale salad can be more than just bird food, you haven’t tried this kale and parmesan salad with lemon yogurt dressing. Kale can sometimes be a bit bitter and a bit tough, but if you know how to prepare it, its shortcomings are easily overcome. The key is giving the kale leaves some time to marinate in a dressing. The acidity of the dressing helps to soften the leaves, making it much easier to enjoy.
In this recipe, we mix together fresh lemon juice with a dollop of yogurt and a light drizzle of olive oil. Lemon juice and olive oil have long been a great salad dressing combination, but the dollop of yogurt makes a huge difference. Simple plain yogurt adds creaminess so that our kales leaves are coated in luscious tartness. Consider this a much healthier version to bottled ranch dressing. In fact, here’s a simple cooking tip: Whenever you’re looking to add just a bit more body to dressing, just add a spoonful of plain yogurt.
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For this recipe, I finish this salad with a few shavings of nutty parmesan cheese and some toasted pine nuts, making it a healthy and tasty savory side dish. You can easily add some chopped grilled chicken breast or toasted beans to make this a full protein-filled meal. If you prefer something on the sweeter side, chop up some apples and substitute blue or goat cheese for the parmesan and consider it a modern take on the waldorf salad. What other ingredients would you add to this salad? We want to know in the comments below!
Helpful tools: 1) Salad spinner; 2) Whisk; 3) Peeler
Pair it with: 1) Balsamic Caprese Chicken; 2) Baked Chicken Cordon Bleu; 3) Mexican Meatballs with Fire-Roasted Tomato Sauce
- Kale, leaves removed from stems – 1½ bunches
- Lemon juice – 2 tbs.
- Dijon mustard – 1 tsp.
- Plain yogurt – 2 tbs.
- Olive oil – 2 tbs.
- Parmesan cheese, shaved – 2 oz.
- Pine nuts – ¼ cup
- Kale – Tear off leaves into bite-sized pieces
- Dressing – Whisk together lemon juice, mustard, yogurt, some hot sauce (opt) and oil. Season to taste with salt & pepper. Toss with kale leaves. Cover and refrigerate until it’s time to serve
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees
- Place pine nuts on a sheet pan and toast in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Give it a shake midway through
- Shave parmesan into kale salad (I like to use a regular vegetable peeler for this). Add in pine nuts and toss. Season to taste with salt
- Add in pine nuts and toss when ready to eat. Season to taste with salt