INGREDIENTS

  • 1 pound of sliced curly kale or Tuscan kale leaves. You can take around 5 large stalks (1 big bunch) and remove the central stem and slice the leaves
  • 1 pound of Brussels sprouts (Trimmed and thinly chopped)
  • 1 cup of grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or “parmesan”
  • 1 cup of chopped walnut (for the salad)
  • 3 tablespoons of chopped shallots
  • 3 teaspoons of Dijon mustard
  • ½ cup olive oil (preferably extra virgin)
  • ¼ cup of lemon juice. Take 2 medium-sized lemons to make some fresh juice for the dressing
  • ¼ teaspoon of black pepper powder. Use freshly ground powder for more freshness
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 2 small garlic cloves finely minced

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Preheat the oven up to 350 degrees. For easy cleaning, you can cover the baking sheet using an aluminum foil. You can start with baking the walnut pieces. You can get aromatic toasted walnuts in about 6 to 8 minutes of baking. If you leave them in the oven for any longer, they can easily turn brown and get all burnt. Now take a large bowl and add the sliced kale leaves. Toss it with chopped Brussels sprouts.
  2. Now take a small bowl for preparing the dressing. Add chopped shallots, olive oil, Dijon mustard, and minced garlic cloves. Mix everything with a serving spoon. Now add salt and lemon juice and mix all the ingredients for about a minute. Finally, sprinkle the black pepper powder evenly and blend everything nicely. Now you are done with the dressing. Pour it evenly over the mixture of kale leaves and Brussels sprouts. Toss it with toasted walnuts. You can keep aside a few pieces for garnishing right before you serve. Now add the grated or shredded Parmigiano-Reggiano and mix well.

  1. You can serve this nutritious kale salad freshly or set aside for around 40 minutes. This would soften the kale leaves and Brussels sprouts and meld all the flavors. This would make the salad more aromatic and delicious to taste. If you want to preserve the freshness for longer hours, you can refrigerate it. But leave it in room temperature for an hour before serving.  Also, taste the salad and add more seasoning if needed. Scatter the remaining walnuts and cheese shreds over the salad.

NOTES

  • You can reduce the amount of lemon juice if you feel that ¼ cup would make the recipe too sour. Instead of crushing 2 lemons use only 1 and adjust the other ingredients to suit your taste.
  • You can add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to make the salad deliciously tangy.
  • If you feel that raw Brussels sprouts are hard to digest. You can roast them in a pan using a tablespoon of olive oil. Add black pepper powder and red chili flakes to make the combination more spicily. Roast for 10 to 15 minutes before mixing with your kale salad.