Lacinato Kale and Pecorino Salad

You are checking out one of my favorite winter salads and if you feel like chopping up a few ingredients it won't disappoint. It's the most wintry kale salad – a particularly good one. Buckle up for a hearty, filling, and nutritious salad that luckily makes a meal on its own. It plays well with others too, and is brilliant over a bed of pasta, platter of roasted vegetables, or a bowl of grains.

The salad is simple enough without being obvious or predictable. It builds on a base of finely grated lacinato kale to which an abundance of toasted pecans, pecorino cheese, and grated Brussels sprouts are added. Do not save. A strong lemon tahini dressing is used to lighten things up and take the edge off the kale.

The key here is your knife work. To make this salad really pop, grate the kale, Brussels sprouts and spring onions very finely and tenderly. It results in a feathery texture that makes all the difference in a tough salad like this one.

Variations

I tend to make this salad the way it is below. The combination of pecans, green olives, and pecorino is a winner in my book. But walnuts are great too when you have that on hand. If you have celery I love to add it too. Once again cut as thin as a whisper. A final lemon peel kiss from the lemon you used for the dressing is nice too.

There's no shortage of kale recipes on the site so be sure to check out. On the salad front, I love this Genius Kale Salad from the Food52 Genius Recipes Cookbook. This salad booster is fun, and this kale market salad (xo ragazza!) Is such a favorite. Likewise! Don't miss Bryant Terry's Amazing Green Rice.

MY NEWSLETTER + EBOOK

Sign up for my weekly ad-free newsletter, with recipes, inspirations, what
I read / watch / shop.
(You will receive a link for a free PDF e-book with 10 recipes)