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I did not think the family would be that enthusiastic about a salad involving broccoli. They like roasted broccoli, sure, and definitely love roasted broccoli with Parmesan but plan old steamed broccoli in a salad? That felt like I was pushing the boundaries.
But you know, sometimes boundaries need to be pushed (just ask my 16 year old son, holy mother of….). And after a few skeptical comments and fork-pokings, bites were taken, and plates were eaten. I definitely felt like a nice line had been crossed.
Loaded Green Salad
This green on green on green salad packs a big nutritional wallop. The goat cheese adds nice tang, but you can leave it out if you have anyone who can’t have dairy for any reason. And boy is this fast; make the dressing while you are waiting for the water to come to a boil, and slice up the romaine and kale while the broccoli steams and drains. Try 2 teaspoons of chopped fresh tarragon in addition to or instead of the minced garlic once you start playing with this recipe.
This fully loaded green salad is absolutely delicious and filled with fun textures, and packs a big nutritional wallop.
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What Kinds of Kale to Use in Salads
I really like lacinato or dinosaur kale in salads, which has a slightly smoother texture than regular kale, which I am not a huge fan of raw. Or use baby kale in its place and give it a rough chop. Baby kale is more tender than mature kale, and you shouldn’t have to cut out the ribs.
Optional Crunch
I skipped the optional pumpkin seeds for these photos, but they would add nice crunch. If you love nuts (not me; allergic), a handful of slivered almonds or chopped hazelnuts would be good instead of the pumpkin seeds.
Using All of the Broccoli
Many people toss the broccoli stems and cut use the tops or florets. This is a shame, not to mention a waste. I actually love the texture of the stems at least as much as the florets, and if you peel off the tough outer skin, you will the inside to be tender and quite sweet, relatively speaking. Just cut the stems into bit sized pieces after peel them, and make sure to discard the very end of the stem, which is usually hard and tough.
More Kale Recipes to Try:
- Kale Quinoa Salad with Honey, Lemon and Dijon Dressing
- Kale Pesto Recipe
- Romaine and Slivered Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
- Sauteed Kale and Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
- Kale, Cabbage and Mint Salad with Peanut Dressing
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Romaine, Kale and Broccoli Salad
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 small head about 10 ounces broccoli, stems peeled and stems and florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon minced garlic
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 1 large heart of romaine lettuce
- 1 bunch about 8 ounces kale, preferably lacinato
- ½ cup crumbled goat cheese
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds optional
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the salt and return to a boil. Fill a large bowl with ice water.
- Add the broccoli to the pot and cook for 2 minutes, until bright green, but still crisp-tender. Drain in a colander.
- Plunge the drained broccoli into the bowl of ice water and let sit until completely cooled. Drain well. Place the florets into a clean dry dish towels or several paper towels, and roll it up to absorb excess moisture.
- Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the drained broccoli and toss.
- Slice the hearts of romaine cross-wise into ½-inch ribbons. Cut the ribs from the kale leaves and slice them into ½ inch strips. Add the lettuce and kale along with the drained broccoli to the bowl and toss so that the vegetables are coated with the dressing.
- Transfer to a serving bowl. Top with the goat cheese and pumpkin seeds, if using, and serve.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Wanted something new to try with my abundance of red Russian kale ( next year I will make this when I have broccoli, too). It is a great intro to make for those who are skeptical of kale. I topped it with pine nuts and a fruit studded goat cheese because I had those on hand. I think apple chunks would be good, too