Hi everyone, I’m Sunny and I’m excited to share my Healthy Kale Lentil Salad recipe with you all. Katie and Melissa introduced me a few months ago when I shared my first salad recipe, and I wanted to reintroduce myself a little bit and then I’ll get to the recipe – I promise!
I grew up watching my grandma make homemade pie and my mom bake bread. She cooked our family dinners every night, mostly inspired from the Bon Appetit magazine. She packed my lunch every day until I graduated high school. Maybe that’s why I LOVE packing mine and my husband’s every day! She taught me to be creative with food and try new things. Thankfully, eating healthy was not only delicious but just a part of our everyday lives.
This salad is no exception! It’s delicious and jam packed with nutrients. I think when most people think of kale, most don’t think they enjoy it. If you don’t prepare it correctly, it can be bitter, firm and just not taste good. Massaging kale, yes, like actually massaging, is the trick to softening it and reducing the bitterness. It’s a powerhouse vegetable that I think you’ll be able to get behind once you know how to prepare it.
Something I also think about a lot is “What can I make that I will look forward to eating at my desk for lunch all week?” And this Healthy Kale Lentil Salad is my answer! I make this all the time and add seared salmon, grilled chicken, canned tuna, avocado, pita with hummus– really anything if you want to change it up.
Alright, here is the recipe! There are quite a few steps, but once you get the hang of it, I think this recipe will be around to stay and it will get easier and you will be faster! Enjoy!
Kale Lentil Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch Tuscan or Lacinto Kale (10 oz)
- 1/2 cup almonds
- 3 green onions
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup EVOO (plus a little extra)
- 1 1/2 cup black beluga or French green lentils
- 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds
- 1/2 tsp. crushed red peppers
- .5 oz. feta
- 1 cup Castelvetrano olives
Instructions
- Wash your kale. Strip leaves off stems from the kale by holding the bottom of the stem and pulling down to drag the leaves off the stem.
- Stack leaves, roll and slice crosswise to get long strips, shorten any that are too long.
- Transfer to a large bowl, season with salt, and massage until kale is softer and darker in color, 1–2 minutes.
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.
- While you're waiting, coarsely chop ½ cup raw almonds; set aside.
- Trim 3 green onions and separate white and green parts (save the green parts for later in the recipe). Thinly slice white parts and transfer to a small skillet.
- Mince 4 garlic cloves and add those to same skillet.
- Using a vegetable peeler or paring knife to remove three 3" strips of lemon peel and add them to the skillet as well. Save the rest of the lemon for the dressing.
- Pour 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil into skillet and stir so that all of the elements are coated in oil, not heating yet.
- Add 1½ cups lentils to now-boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and simmer, uncovered, until lentils are tender but still al dente (similar to noodles), 20–25 minutes—try them and make sure to not overcook otherwise they are mushy!
- While lentils cook, heat skillet with spiced oil mixture over medium. Cook, stirring occasionally, until garlic starts to brown and lemon peel starts to curl, about 3 minutes.
- Add almonds and cook, stirring frequently, until almonds are browned, about 3 more minutes.
- Remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. cumin seeds and ½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes.
- Strain oil mixture through a fine-mesh colander into a small bowl, keep the oil since this is the base of your salad dressing. Spread almond mixture on a paper towel-lined plate, season with salt and cool so the nuts get crunchier.
- Add (crumble) 5 oz. of your cheese and olives (without pits) into the bowl with kale.
- Thinly slice the green parts of the green onions greens and add to the bowl.
- Add the juice of your lemon and ½ tsp. salt—good time for that truffle salt 🙂
- Drain lentils well and add to bowl with kale. Add your spiced oil and half of the nuts and toss to combine.
- Season with salt if needed or a touch more oil if needed. Enjoy!
