A friend told me about this salad early in the summer: I had a garden-full of beautiful kale, and was looking for new & interesting ways to eat it (my favorite way is to quickly pan-saute and drizzle with good balsamic vinegar). She mentioned that her mother had a raw kale salad with grapefruit at a restaurant, and that it was refreshing and delightful. I was a bit skeptical, as I’d never eaten a bowl full of raw kale leaves.
I lightening-fast found a recipe for exactly what she described (what? I wasn’t the first to know about this newfangled salad? what a shock to my kitchen ego). It was so simple, and while the heartiness of kale leaves might not appeal to the staunchly salad-wary, the grapefruit performs a wonderful balancing act of lending needed acidity and fruity texture.
As a bonus, it’s a salad that is coming into its season. Cooler weather brings citrus, and kale flourishes in the crisp fall air (I am told that I will be cutting kale out of the snow, come December).
This makes a perfect side to something heavy — I served it with a rich breakfast strata, and it was exactly what I craved next to a thick slice of eggs, cheese, cream, and bread. I even ate leftovers, straight from the container, for lunch the next day. Because leftover-lunch-from-the-fridge is how I roll.
The salad is made to eyeball, so that’s how I’m re-writing the original recipe.
…………………………………………
Recipe: Raw Kale & Grapefruit Salad
from this recipe at Elana’s Pantry
Ingredients
- one bunch of kale (any variety)
- olive oil, for drizzling
- fresh-squeezed juice of 1 lime
- good balsamic vinegar
- salt & pepper to taste
- 1 grapefruit, peeled & cut into bite-sized wedges
Instructions
- Tear the leaves from the kale, and discard stems. Cut leaves into thin strips and transfer to a large bowl.
- Drizzle leaves with olive oil. Using your hands, massage the oil into the leaves to help soften.
- Add the juice of half a lime, and drizzle lightly with balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste.
- Add grapefruit to kale & toss.
- Let stand for 15 minutes or so before serving to allow kale to soften.
Copyright © Katy Carter, 2011.
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{ 3 comments }
Katy, do you prefer the sweetness of red grapefruit with this? I have some white on hand.
Taffy Jenkins.
Hi ; )
I think you could use either. Sweet is good, but I think the main thing it needs is acidity & juicy texture. Try it and see!
dang. we forgot to make this….mammmmmmm.
so…which night is going to be knitting night at the coffee shop?