Kale with lemony vinaigrette recipe

The hype around the so-called superfood may have died down, but don't let that put you off trying this delicious, simple side dish

Poor kale. One minute, it was hailed as a mighty superfood, gracing every well-dressed dinner plate and smoothie bar. Seemingly, this vegetable could do everything but walk the dog and take out the garbage. But then came the backlash and snap, its 15 minutes of fame were over.

Perhaps kale can’t make you look ten years younger and live ten years longer. Perhaps it’s not the holy grail/magic elixir we all hoped it would be. But it’s still packed with massive amounts of vitamins and minerals. And – this is the important part – it still tastes delicious.

Steam it or sauté with garlic and olive oil and you have something lovely. Toss handfuls into a rustic bean soup and you’ve got dinner. Shred it and top with a lemony vinaigrette and you’ve got something to grab the attention of your weary taste buds.

So no, it won’t make your triceps firmer or get you a Hollywood movie contract. But if you find a food that can, do let me know.


 

Kale with lemony vinaigrette

This recipe will make more dressing than you need, so store it in the fridge in a glass container and use it with other salads.

Serves 4+

½ clove garlic
​140g kale
Coarsely grated parmesan cheese (optional)

For the vinaigrette: 
1 lemon juiced (about 50ml)
2 tsp mustard
100ml olive oil (or double the amount of lemon juice)
Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Rub a salad bowl with the half clove of garlic. Tear the kale off from the hard woody stem. Discard the stems. Wash and dry the kale in a salad spinner. Bunch some of the leaves together and cut into thin strips. Repeat until you’ve chopped all the kale into ribbons. Place in the salad bowl.

Measure the lemon juice. You’ll want to use double that amount for the olive oil. Pour the juice into a small bowl. Whisk in the mustard until smooth. Slowly pour in the olive oil and whisk until you have a smooth vinaigrette. Taste – if it’s too tart add a bit more olive oil but this should have a sharp acidity to it. Season with salt and black pepper.

Toss the kale with some of the vinaigrette to coat. Add grated parmesan cheese, if using.