Kale & Brussels Sprout Salad with Fresh Figs – Recipe

Due to the hot weather and lighter lifestyle, Salads in California are eaten for at least one meal  a day.  Kale is very popular and many of us are burnt out of seeing them on restaurant menus, but still feel a hankering for a good kale salad now and then.  This recipe combines both kale and Brussels sprouts which are both bitter, but the dressing and figs lighten the flavors and add a sweetness that enhances the greens.

The trick to making a great kale salad is to finely shred or chop the greens, so you don’t have to work so hard to chew them up and can appreciate the actual flavors.  Raw Brussels sprouts aren’t always delicious but, you just need the perfect combination of flavors to display their intensity.  I recommend using a food processor to make the chopping simple, but if you don’t have one — a knife will do the trick.

Ingredients

5 leaves Kale – any variety

1 1/2 cup Brussels Sprouts

2 large fresh Figs, any variety

1/4 cup Rice Wine Vinegar

1/2 Shallot, minced

1 heaping teaspoon, Dijon Mustard

2 teaspoons Agave Nectar or Honey

1/3 cup olive oil

salt

pepper

2/3 cup toasted almonds slivers

1/2 cup ricotta cheese, optional

 

To Prepare:

1.  Strip the leaves off the stems of kale.

2.  Using a food processor with a grater disc attached, push the kale leaves through the feed tube until all of them are shredded.

3.  Next, add the fresh Brussels sprouts through the feed tube and shred.

4.  To make the dressing, in a large bowl combine vinegar, Dijon, shallot and a pinch of salt and pepper.

5.  Squeeze in 2 teaspoons of Agave Nectar or Honey into the vinegar mixture and whisk together.

6.  While whisking, add the olive oil to the vinegar mixture and blend until combined.

7.  Toss in the greens and mix together with a spoon.  Refrigerate the salad for at least 30 minutes.

8.  Cut the fresh figs into wedges and toss together with the greens.

9.  Add the almonds to the salad and toss gently together.

10.  Serve salad on individual plates and dollop with ricotta cheese, if desired.  Enjoy!