Move over arugula, it seems Kale has become the new ‘it girl’ of leafy greens. And not just on the Upper East Side. (Gossip Girl reference, couldn’t resist! Is anyone else a fan? Can Chuck and Blair please get back together?!! Ok I’m digress, apologies). Anyway, I’m finding kale all over the place; bagged (sometimes boxed), pre-washed and sold as salad greens to crisped, salted and sold as chips. Will kale hold the spotlight for more than just 15 minutes? If this recipe’s any indication than I think so.
I love these a-ha type recipes that make me think about a food in a whole new way, which is exactly what I found here. Yes I’ve seen the bagged kale chips but never really thought much about making a version myself. Something about the words ‘kale’ and ‘chips’ strung together didn’t exactly wet my appetite. But when I read 101 Cookbooks blog and cookbook auther Heidi Swanson’s recipe for this Kale Salad, I was enticed. A food combination I’d never have conceived of. Here she spreads kale evenly on a baking sheet and bakes it at a high temperature to crisp it up. Tossed in an Asian dressing with toasty coconut flakes is a totally unique way of preparing this uber-healthy leafy green and I just loved it.
crispy kale salad with farro
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 Tbs shoyu (or tamari)
- 3 1/2 cups lightly packed cups chopped kale, stems trimmed, large ribs removed
- 1 1/2 cups unsweetened large coconut flakes
- 2 cups cooked farro
1. Preheat oven to 350 with two racks in the top third of oven.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, sesame oil and shoyu. Put kale and coconut in a large bowl and toss well with about 2/3 of the olive-oil mixture.
3. Spread kale evenly across the two baking sheets. Bake for 12-18 minutes, until the coconut is deeply golden brown, tossing once or twice along the way. If the kale mixture on the top baking sheet begins to get too browned, move it to the lower rack.
4. Remove from oven and transfer kale mixture to a medium bowl. Taste. If you feel it needs more dressing, add some and toss. Serve warm.
Recipe from Super Natural Everyday by Heidi Swanson
