What is your go-to when you really don’t want to cook? Maybe I should back up a bit. What are the staples in your fridge or pantry? The items you know you can always make a meal out of in ten minutes or less? My staples include kale (don’t roll your eyes at me), chickpeas, tortillas and eggs. At my laziest, I will toss together a kale salad. The toppings vary as far as which cheese or seeds I might sprinkle on top but I always include chickpeas for protein. My other go-to quick meal option is a breakfast taco. I live in South Texas and down here, there is no room for not loving breakfast tacos.
I get it that there are plenty of people who don’t like kale. Heck, there are plenty to mock it and shout their hate for kale from the rooftops. However, I think those people either haven’t actually tried it OR it wasn’t prepared well for them. In raw form, it can be really tough and fibrous. If the stem isn’t removed, you’ll feel like you’re gnawing on a tree branch. HOWEVER, if prepared well, it is delicious and has lots of nutritional value. At the very least, it is worth trying. If you still don’t like it? Hey, more for me!
Tips
- I created this recipe as a side salad. However, you can top it with chickpeas, a hard-boiled egg or even grilled chicken to turn it into a meal.
- To make this recipe go even faster, you can use a store-bought vinaigrette instead of the one I created for this salad.
Kale Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
Ingredients
- 5 large handfuls kale, destemmed and torn into pieces
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup shaved parmesan cheese
- 2 Tablespoons roasted & salted pepita seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Vinaigrette
- juice of 1 lemon
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
Instructions
- Place kale, lemon zest and salt in a large pan with 1 tablespoon of water. Sauté 2-3 minutes or until kale is bright green and slightly tender. Remove from heat immediately and put kale in a medium bowl.
- Toss kale with pepitas, parmesan and red pepper flakes until ingredients are evenly distributed.
For the vinaigrette
- For the vinaigrette: whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Drizzle over salad as desired.