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Kale Salad with Citrus Vinaigrette

This salad utilizes seasonal fruit and greens making it a fabulous salad for winter! Make the pickled grapes a day ahead.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword easy lunch recipe, light recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Servings 4 servings
Author Linda Spiker

Ingredients

Pickled Grapes:

  • ½ pound red grapes
  • ½ cup apple cider vinegar
  • ¼ cup water
  • ⅓ cup organic granulated sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper corns
  • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

Salad:

  • 3 cups kale
  • ¼ cup fresh red currants (if unavailable sub with blueberries)
  • ¼ cup fresh red grapes, sliced in half
  • ¼ cup pickled grapes (make a day ahead)
  • ¼ of a gala apple, 1/4 inch julienne (like matchsticks)
  • 6 fresh figs, thinly sliced
  • pinch sea salt
  • pinch pepper
  • ¼ cup sheep's milk feta cheese crumbled
  • ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted , chopped

Dressing:

  • 2 teaspoons shallot, small chop
  • 2 teaspoons rice wine vinegar
  • 2 Tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice
  • 2 Tablespoons lime juice
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • pinch black pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Pickled Grapes (made a day ahead)

  • Wash and remove grapes from stems. Slice the stem end off each grape
  • In a small sauce pan whisk together vinegar, water, and sugar. Bring to a boil.
  • Place all spices in large mason jar. Add trimmed grapes to jar. Pour hot vinegar over grapes. Allow to cool, then place in fridge. They will be ready to use after 24 hours

Dressing:

  • Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender and mix till smooth. Slowly drizzle in oil in a steady stream till well incorporated.

Salad:

  • Soak kale in a large bowl (or the sink) for ten minutes, swishing the kale around here and there. Use a knife to remove the 'ribs' (the thick, stringy center of each leaf). After drying, stack a few leaves, roll them and thinly slice.
     In a metal mixing bowl combine kale, currants, grapes, pickled grapes, apple and a 1/3 cup of the citrus vinaigrette; toss together by hand. Season with salt and pepper and toss again. Add more dressing if needed.
  • Next pile salad on a plate and top with feta and hazelnuts, serve.