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Kale Salad with Blue Cheese & Dates

January 29, 2013 by Cathy Arkle 27 Comments

The sweet dressing and dates pairs well with the subtle bitterness of the kale in this Kale Salad with Blue Cheese & Dates.

Kale Salad with Blue Cheese & Dates

Killer Kale, A Cat Tale…

I have a confession. My cat, Dante, likes kale better than I do.  I am trying to take his lead and eat more of it.  So when I find a recipe that makes kale tasty, I get a little excited, even if I have to fight my cat for the green stuff.

Maybe Dante knows that kale has one of the highest levels of antioxidants of any vegetable. Its richness shines in: antioxidant nutrients, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and anti-cancer nutrients. This should up the ante for eating more kale.

As for Dante… here is the kale tale.

photography by cathy nelson arkle     photography by cathy nelson arkle

photography by cathy nelson arkle     cathy nelson arkle

photography by cathy nelson arkle     cathy nelson arkle

photography by cathy nelson arkle     cathy nelson arkle

To eliminate the problem, I buy curly kale for Dante and Dinosaur Kale (Lacinato) for me. It seems like a healthy and safe solution for both of us.

cathy nelson arkle
Print

Kale Salad with Blue Cheese & Dates

The sweet dressing and dates pairs well with the subtle bitterness of the kale in this summer salad. 

Course Salad
Servings 6
Author adapted from Elise Bauer - Simple Recipes

Ingredients

Salad

  • 1 pound fresh kale stems removed, leaves thinly shredded, rinsed and patted dry
  • 1/3 cup slivered almonds
  • 8 dates pitted and chopped
  • 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbled

Dressing

  • 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Instructions

  1. Use a sharp knife to cut out the tough midrib of each kale leaf, and discard or freeze for making stock later.
  2. Slice the leaves crosswise into thin, 1/4 inch wide, slices. The easiest way to do this is to work with a small bunch of leaves at a time, stack the leaves and roll them into a loose cigar shape. Then using a sharp knife, work from one end of the "cigar" to the other, slicing a 1/4 inch off from the end. Place the kale slices into a large bowl.
  3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the balsamic vinegar, olive oil, rice vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper.
  4. A half hour to an hour before serving, toss the kale together with the dressing, almonds, and the dates, allowing the kale to marinate a bit.
  5. Right before serving, stir in the crumbled blue cheese.

 

Quote of the Day

“There are two types of people; those who eat kale and those who should.” – Bo Muller-Moore

I am the third type of person, I eat kale because I should. Although, I am learning to love it.
…and then, she paused for thought. 

shepaused4thought_line-NEW

For more kale possibilities, CLICK HERE  for the LA Food Bloggers recipes from the January Kale-a-palooza meeting.
 

 

Yum

Filed Under: Fruit & Veggies, Healthy, Recipes, Salads, Side Dishes, Super Easy, Vegetarian Tagged With: almonds, blue cheese, dates, healthy salads, kale, kale salad

Previous Post: « Easy Eggplant with a Simple Sauce
Next Post: Berry Healthy Muffins »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Rona Lewis

    January 30, 2013 at 9:17 am

    I have kale all the time. I sauté it with balsamic and cranberries or with garlic and pine nuts. It is SO versatile! As for this recipe, substitute goat cheese for the blue and I’m all over it!

    Reply
  2. cathyarkle

    January 30, 2013 at 9:22 am

    Rona, were you a cat in a former life? 🙂 I love the cranberries and balsamic idea. Will be trying that soon.

    Reply
  3. Natalie @ The Devil Wears Parsley

    January 30, 2013 at 9:28 am

    The photos of Dante are fantastic! What a cute kid! I’ll have to see if my kids like it too. The hubby always clips grass for them, and they seem to like that. A couple years ago, I realized that I actually liked kale, and buy it every so often. This salad looks right up my alley!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      January 30, 2013 at 9:31 am

      Thanks Natalie, please let me know what your “kids” think of it. I juice kale, but now I am trying to incorporate it into my meals.

      Reply
  4. Nan

    January 30, 2013 at 9:35 am

    Perfect timing. I was just wondering what I should do with the kale I purchased. Sounds wonderful. Thanks.

    Reply
  5. cathyarkle

    January 30, 2013 at 9:39 am

    That is great Nan, let me know what you think.

    Reply
  6. Nan

    January 30, 2013 at 9:51 am

    How could I forget to say how much I enjoyed seeing Dante. Even if just in a photograph. Sweet and sassy kitty!

    Reply
  7. Leslie Macchiarella

    January 30, 2013 at 11:41 am

    Haha to your cute, sparky kale devotee, Dante. And your salad looks so inviting! I’m going for it. Your recipes are always a sure bet.

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      January 30, 2013 at 11:45 am

      Thanks Leslie! Sometimes the best lessons come from our pets!

      Reply
  8. Nan

    January 31, 2013 at 2:10 pm

    I absolutely LOVED the kale salad!!!!!!! I used both curly and lacinato kale. Amazing.
    Thanks for sharing.
    🙂

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      January 31, 2013 at 10:06 pm

      I am so happy you LOVED the salad Nan. Great idea to use both kinds of kale!

      Reply
  9. Christina

    January 31, 2013 at 3:58 pm

    Very cute, Cathy! I’m not a big kale fan, but I do sneak it into some things, like minestra, with other greens and beans!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      January 31, 2013 at 10:06 pm

      I am with you Christina, but I am getting better about eating it in more things.

      Reply
  10. shockinglydelicious

    February 1, 2013 at 8:23 am

    All right, I must make your salad, and you must make mine! This one will convert you, I promise: http://www.shockinglydelicious.com/healthy-and-delicious-vegan-mango-chickpea-kale-farro-salad-secret-recipe-club/

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      February 1, 2013 at 10:12 am

      Shockinglydelicious, you have a deal. I will let you know how it goes.

      Reply
  11. Kristi @ My San Francisco Kitchen

    February 2, 2013 at 1:50 pm

    Your kitty is so cute!! And beautiful salad, I always love trying new kale recipes 🙂 It is so healthy!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      February 2, 2013 at 9:29 pm

      Thanks Kristi! Let me know what you think of the salad. I so respect your opinion.

      Reply
  12. Cheri Cameron Newell

    February 8, 2013 at 12:30 pm

    Dante can go out for Kale Pizza with me anytime! My favorite new treat!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      February 11, 2013 at 10:58 am

      Thanks Cheri! I have yet to try kale on pizza.

      Reply
  13. bumbleberry breeze

    February 8, 2013 at 7:36 pm

    Your Dante looks like our Kitty!!
    The salad looks divine- Yummy- I’m with you on the kale front but I’m surprised at how quickly I’m warming to it ( though swiss chard is still a hit. I also like the Tuscan better but the curly works well on kale chips (I posted that a while back)- am enjoying your blog-Judy

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      February 11, 2013 at 10:59 am

      Thanks Bumbleberry Breeze! I am slowly warming up to kale as well. I hope to love kale very soon! 🙂

      Reply
  14. Lynne @ CookandBeMerry

    February 22, 2013 at 5:31 pm

    Four of my favorite ingredients all in one salad. Definitely going on my to-make list. And what a cute sous chef you have!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      February 22, 2013 at 5:36 pm

      Thanks Lynne! I think I could eat anything if it had blue cheese on it! And yes… my sous chef is very handsome if I don’t say so myself!

      Reply
  15. Mary Papoulias-Platis

    April 5, 2013 at 8:54 am

    Cathy your cat is adorable! I do like kale and your salad seems easy and a great healthful plate to recreate!

    Reply
    • cathyarkle

      April 5, 2013 at 9:37 am

      Yes, Mary I do agree on both accounts. Enjoy!

      Reply
  16. Simone | Simone's Kitchen

    February 21, 2015 at 1:29 pm

    O hahaha.. That is just too funny! Not sure my cats would agree with Dante but hey I never tried! Will do so soon!

    Reply

Trackbacks

  1. 2013 Top Recipes | She Paused 4 Thought | She Paused for Thought says:
    December 28, 2013 at 2:35 pm

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