Kale salad with sliced Brussels sprouts and toasted almonds.

This kale and sliced Brussels sprouts salad with toasted almonds is a total crowd pleaser. This is one of my favorite fall and winter salads and pairs with just about anything. It's a kale salad that doesn't taste like a kale salad. It's got so many flavors and textures to it from the combination of the kale with the crunchiness of the Brussels sprouts and the toasted salted almonds. Full recipe at https://marinmamacooks.com/kale-salad...

For the Salad:

1 to 1 1/2 bunches of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and thinly sliced – I usually use 1 1/2 bunches of kale, as the kale really reduces down after you massage it

12 Brussels sprouts, washed, and thinly sliced – I have a video in the below post that shows you how to thinly slice the Brussels

1/2 cup raw almonds with skins, coarsely chopped – you will toast these in olive oil, and I show you below

1/2 to 3/4 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese – I get a sheep milk one for those that can’t tolerate dairy – the amount of cheese you add is to taste

For the Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 1.5 lemons)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon fine Celtic sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided – you will use 1 tablespoon from this to toast the almonds

Directions:

Coarsely chop the almonds using a serrated knife. These do not have to be uniform in size at all.

Measure out 1/2 cup of olive oil into a measuring cup. Take out 1 tablespoon of oil from the 1/2 cup and put it into a skillet (you will use the remainder of the olive oil for the dressing). Heat the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped almonds to the skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots. Transfer nuts to a paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle the almonds with some fine Celtic Sea salt. Set them aside to cool.

Now it’s time to prep the rest of the ingredients. Wash, de-stem and thinly slice your kale. I always wash and de-stem my kale ahead of time to save myself a step here.

To a small glass jar, add the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced shallot, minced garlic, 1/4 teaspoon sea salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and whisk to combine. Don't add the olive oil yet, you will add that in a bit.

Set the dressing aside while you prep the Brussels sprouts, so that the flavors can meld.

Let's prep the Brussels. Rinse Brussels in a colander and thinly slice the sprouts. Make sure to pull apart sliced sprouts, as they can stick together.

In a large salad bowl, mix together the thinly sliced kale and the Brussels sprouts.

Now it's time to finish the dressing. Slowly whisk the remaining olive oil into the lemon-juice mixture. Whisk well to combine the dressing.

Add ½ of the dressing to the greens. Massage the dressing into the kale. When I say, massage your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it, like you’re giving a massage. When you massage kale, not only does it absorb the dressing, but it also breaks down the kale almost like when it’s cooked and takes away any bitter flavor. Massage the kale until it's about half of its original size.

Keep adding the dressing to taste as you massage it. Taste the salad, and if you want to add more dressing, then add a bit more. The amount of dressing you put in is totally to taste. Some people like their salads with tons of dressing, and others like them lightly dressed.
The dressing makes enough for a double batch of this salad, so if you find that you've got extra dressing, then you can store it in a sealed container for a few days. Just make sure to whisk or shake it before you use it next.

Add in the toasted almonds and the Pecorino cheese and toss to combine.

This salad tastes great day two, so don't fret if you have leftovers. Store leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge.

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