The perfect side dish, this Easy Kale Salad Recipe features an array of Spanish flavors including buttery Marcona almonds, zesty Manchego cheese, and spicy Aleppo pepper. With plump golden raisins, hard-boiled egg, and a garlic-infused lemon vinaigrette, this salad comes together quickly and brings life to the often-overlooked crunchy kale. Pair this salad with some roasted red pepper soup for an ultimate flavorful dinner!
How To Make This Kale Salad Recipe
- To get the best flavor in the dressing, it’s important to warm the olive oil with the smashed garlic and aleppo pepper. Do this step first to give the oil the most amount of time to absorb the flavors from the aromatics.
- While the aromatics steep, toss together the panko with the garlic, sea salt and olive oil and gently heat over medium-low until the panko is browned and crispy but not burnt. Try not to eat it all out of the pan, or just make extra so you can!
- You can use the golden raisins as they are, but I think they are tastier when plumped. Simply pop them in a small bowl and pour hot water over them and let it sit for 5 minutes before draining.
- For the most tender kale, add a little bit of lemon and olive oil to the leaves and massage for a few minutes. You’ll be able to feel the leaves loosen and soften!
- I like to add a teaspoon of the dressing to the chopped egg and toss it gently before adding it to the salad, rather than tossing the eggs with the salad. You can do it either way.
- Finish the salad right before serving for the best texture and flavor.
Easy Kale Salad Recipe with Marcona Almonds, Manchego, & Aleppo Pepper
This Easy Kale Salad Recipe features an array of Spanish flavors including buttery Marcona almonds, zesty Manchego cheese, and spicy Aleppo pepper. With plump golden raisins, hard-boiled egg, crispy panko crumble, and a garlic-infused lemon vinaigrette, this salad comes together quickly and brings life to the often-overlooked crunchy kale. Pair this salad with some roasted red pepper soup!
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Servings: 6
Calories: 339kcal
Ingredients
Garlic-Infused Lemon Vinaigrette
Kale Salad
- ¼ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup hot water
- 6 cups fresh curly kale chopped or chiffonade
- ½ cup marcona almonds roughly chopped
- 1 hard-boiled egg chopped
- 1 cup manchego cheese finely grated
- pinch aleppo pepper
Instructions
Garlic-Infused Lemon Vinaigrette
- In a small pan over medium-low heat, add the olive oil, smashed garlic, and aleppo pepper. Once hot, transfer to a small dish and let sit. When ready to finish the salad, strain the oil through a fine-mesh sieve to remove the garlic and aleppo pepper, then add the lemon juice and a pinch of salt and whisk well.
Panko Crouton Crumble
- In a small bowl, toss together the panko with the minced garlic, sea salt, and 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Wipe the pan from the vinaigrette clean and add the mixture, heating over medium until the panko is golden and crisp, stirring occasional to prevent burning. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Kale Salad
- Add the golden raisins to a bowl and top with the hot water. Let sit for 5 minutes then drain thoroughly.
- Add the kale to a large bowl, then drizzle with a tablespoon or two of the dressing. Gently massage the kale by hand until the leaves loosen and become tender. Add a couple more tablespoons of dressing, then add the golden raisins and marcona almonds. Toss well to combine then turn out onto a serving dish. Sprinkle with the hair-boiled egg, then top with the panko crumble and grated manchego cheese. Add more dressing as desired, then sprinkle with a pinch of aleppo pepper and serve immediately.
Notes
- I recommend making extra panko crumble, because it smells and tastes so delicious, you may find yourself eating it out of the pan.
- If you forget to plump the raisins, all is not lost! You can use them as-is.
- Do not skip the massaging of the kale. Do not skip it, you will regret it.
- I like to add a teaspoon of the dressing to the chopped egg and toss it gently before adding it to the salad, rather than tossing the eggs with the salad. You can do it either way.
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 12g | Fat: 27g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 51mg | Sodium: 175mg | Potassium: 461mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 6890IU | Vitamin C: 82mg | Calcium: 342mg | Iron: 2mg
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