Someone recently recommended I check out yet another book on how we should obviously all be vegetarians, and so I've been on a 'stop being a dick and eating so many tasty animals' kick as of late. I find it's pretty easy to make up for the lost protein, but I've been craving Kale for the iron.

Luckily I found my way to a totally bomb recipe for kale and brussel sprout salad. I was skeptical of raw kale, but it's delightful. When dressed, the salad doesn't wilt like normal lettuce, but instead remains firm and fluffy; it's toothy and flavorful, supporting strong flavors like shallots and pecorino; and it lasts for over a week.

Next I'm gonna make a raw kale salad with slow-roasted tomatoes and mushrooms, maybe get some thyme and chickpeas up in there. Good times.


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Kale and Brussel Sprout Salad (via Epicurious)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1 small garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
Freshly ground black pepper
2 large bunches of Tuscan kale (about 1 1/2 pounds total), center stem discarded, leaves thinly sliced
12 ounces brussels sprouts, trimmed, finely grated or shredded with a knife
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped
1 cup finely grated Pecorino


Combine lemon juice, Dijon mustard, shallot, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and a pinch of pepper in a small bowl. Stir to blend; set aside to let flavors meld. Mix thinly sliced kale and shredded brussels sprouts in a large bowl.

Measure 1/2 cup oil into a cup. Spoon 1 tablespoon oil from cup into a small skillet; heat oil over medium-high heat. Add almonds to skillet and stir frequently until golden brown in spots, about 2 minutes. Transfer nuts to a paper towel–lined plate. Sprinkle almonds lightly with salt.

Slowly whisk remaining olive oil in cup into lemon-juice mixture. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Dressing, kale mixture, and toasted almonds can be prepared 8 hours ahead. Cover dressing and kale mixture separately and chill. Cover almonds and let stand at room temperature.

Add dressing and cheese to kale mixture; toss to coat. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Garnish with almonds.