Warm kale salad is a delicious way to eat your greens! It’s a simple recipe with salty parmesan and spicy red pepper flakes, and it’s a perfect side dish for any dinner.
I haven’t been eating as many salads lately since it’s been so chilly. This meant that I had a couple of bunches of kale sitting in my fridge, begging to be used. I finally decided I’d use them up on a warm kale salad. After having such a delicious dish at The Savory Grain, I had a rough idea in mind of how I wanted to turn out. This actually turned out to be a simpler salad than I thought and I think this would be a lovely side dish, or a main dish if you added a little quinoa or protein.
Tips for the Perfect Warm Kale Salad
- Kale is a tough green and it needs massaging to make it tender. After you’ve washed your kale, you want to literally massage it with your hands. I typically massage the dressing right in. Since this kale salad is served warm, it’s not as critical but it will still produce a better texture.
- Use the right dressing. Kale is a very bitter green and it needs something to help soften it a bit. An acidic dressing will help break down the fiber in the kale which will make it easier to chew.
- Remove the kale stems. The stems are extremely bitter and very hard to chew. Do yourself a favor and de-stem the kale. You can either fold the leaves in half and slice the stem off or you can just tear the leaves right off the stem.
Substitution Ideas
- If you don’t have sunflower seeds, feel free to substitute pine nuts or sliced almonds.
- I like the spice of red pepper flakes but if you don’t like spicy food, feel free to skip them.
- You can also use lacinato kale if you don’t like curly kale
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Warm kale salad is a delicious way to eat your greens! It’s a simple recipe with salty parmesan and spicy red pepper flakes, and it’s a perfect side dish for any dinner.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 bunch curly kale
- 1 tablespoon lemon juiice
- 2 oz shredded Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese (about 1/2 cup)
- 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat up the oil in a large saucepan, and add in the minced garlic.
- Tear the kale into small pieces, removing the stems.
- Add them to the oil and toss to coat.
- Cook the kale over medium heat for 2 minutes, just until it softens. It shouldn’t take long, and you don’t want it to get soggy.
- Toss with the lemon juice, shredded cheese, sunflower seeds, and red pepper flakes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.
Keywords: warm kale salad
Sometimes I add a few crushed red pepper flakes for a spicy flavor! It’s so simple but so delicious! I love serving this with my spaghetti squash lasagna but you could also add your favorite protein on top and make it a meal!
Looking for some other kale salad inspiration? Try this kale and quinoa salad!
Have you ever tried a warm kale salad?
Kat
I have only had a cold kale salad, so a warm one is definitely intriguing to me! Especially since its got parmesan in it 🙂
Diane @ Life of Di.
Oh wow – this looks good! I just started eating kale again (I took a hiatus and was eating mostly spinach.) Anyways, this sounds so good and perfect for a cold winter night!
★★★★★
Linz @ Itz Linz
yum! come to think of it, i haven’t made salads very often because this cold weather! i did order one at the restaurant yesterday though – itz always better when someone else makes it haha!
purelytwins
we love making warm salads
AwesomelyOZ
I could definitely see how avocado would’ve enhanced this salad yum! I love avocados – kale is such a flavorful green! Happy Monday Liz! -Iva
Jen@PregnantDiabetic
I’ve been reading so much about Barre classes lately, I need to check this out after the baby is born!
Liz
Definitely give it a try! I’m not a huge fan of jumping-around-cardio, so this class kicks my butt without making me do burpees 😉
jennifer prod
bloggers barre class? that sounds like a ton of fun 🙂 and i think i might make this salad- with some quinoa 🙂
Brittany
Thanks for planning the Richmond Barre meet up! It was really fun. And, for the record, I’m still sore. haha.
Stephanie @ My Freckled Life
I’m still kind of a kale newbie, but this looks like such a simple way to add some kale as a side dish! Also, I had such a great time at the meet up!! Now if only I lived closer…
Liz
It was so good seeing you 🙂
Tina Muir
Ooooh what a lovely idea! This sounds wonderful! Love the flavor combination! I still have some kale left in my fridge. This may be its use!
I had a pretty busy weekend, my athletes competed in their track meet at the Armory all day Saturday, and then Sunday I had my 17 miler, which I ran mostly on snow….really took it out of my legs! It was a good weekend though 🙂
Liz
Oh wow! Good for you!!! 🙂 That’s amazing!