If you want to step up your salad game, look no further than the grill. The result is a salad that’s Instagram-ready and packed with new flavour nuances. The flat leaves of Tuscan kale are less likely to burn than curly kale, whose edges are prone to singeing. If you’re not using a vegetable basket, be sure to skewer the cherry tomatoes together. A scattering of crumbled goat cheese would only serve to make this salad even more crave worthy.
Calling all kale!
Tuscan kale goes by several names, including dinosaur kale and lacinato kale.
Grilled Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan kale
- 1 1/2 Tbsp (22 mL) grapeseed or camelina oil
- 2 cups (500 mL) cherry tomatoes
- 2 cobs of corn, husks removed
- 4 green onions, ends trimmed
- 1 avocado, halved, pit removed
- 3 Tbsp (45 mL) sliced almonds
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) red wine vinegar
- Pinch of salt, to taste
Nutrition
Per serving:
- calories285
- protein9g
- fat16g
- saturated fat2g
- trans fat0g
- carbohydrates34g
- sugars5g
- fibre9g
- sodium158mg
Directions
01
Preheat grill to medium. Brush kale leaves with about 2 tsp (10 mL) oil and spread out on grill grate. Heat, turning often, until lightly charred in spots, about 2 minutes. Do this in batches if necessary. Set aside.
02
Toss tomatoes with 1 tsp (5 mL) oil. Brush remaining oil on corn cobs, green onions, and avocado halves. Place tomatoes, corn, onions, and avocado on grill grate and heat until vegetables are darkened in places and tomatoes have softened, removing items from grill as they finish cooking. Turn tomatoes, corn, and onions a couple of times during grilling. If needed, prepare vegetables in batches.
03
Slice off any tough stems from grilled kale and chop leaves into 2 in (5 cm) pieces. Place in large bowl. Once cool enough to handle, slice kernels off cobs and add to kale. Slice avocado into cubes and add to bowl. Slice green onions into 2 in (5 cm) pieces and place in bowl with kale; add tomatoes and almonds. Toss with red wine vinegar and a couple pinches salt to taste.
Matthew Kadey, MSc, RD, is a dietitian, nutrition writer, and recipe developer. He is also the author of Rocket Fuel (VeloPress, 2016) and Muffin Tin Chef (Ulysses Press, 2012).
