This kale salad is piled high with toppings: thinly sliced Asian pear, fennel, and purple carrot. Everything is coated in a Honey Vinaigrette that is to die for, and finishing touches of roasted pumpkin seeds and golden raisins are sprinkled on top.

Hello, everyone and Happy February!

Here in St. Louis, it’s been grey and gloomy for weeks. If you are like me and ready for Spring, this salad is a beautiful reminder that we live in a world of color, and Spring will be here shortly. Hang in there.

Here is a little backstory on this salad. Gabrielle and I served it at one of our Galley Kitchen Throwdown dinners last year. If you’re not sure what I’m talking about, we hosted an at-cost food event concept about a year ago as a way to bring people together over good food. We have stopped doing the events, but we got some wonderful memories, experience, and not to mention, great recipes out of trying it out! This salad was created for our very first dinner and was a total hit. It would be a shame not to share it with everyone.

This Kale, Asian Pear, and Fennel Salad with Honey Vinaigrette is vibrant, with an array of colors and textures. Asian pear, fennel, and purple carrot add a fresh crunch and pops of color. The golden raisins are sweet and slightly acidic, while the pumpkin seeds add a salty crunch. It may seem like there are a lot of ingredients and many components to this salad, but fear not, most of it can be prepared ahead of time and assembled right before serving. This salad a great way to add some new fruits and vegetables to your diet, and it is also gorgeous! Serve it at your next get together, and it will be a showstopper.

Homemade Vinaigrette

Making homemade dressing is an extra step, but it does turn any boring salad into something special. All you have to do is toss the ingredients into a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and give it a good shake. Not only will it taste better than store-bought dressing, but homemade dressings are also, typically, healthier.

When making your own vinaigrette, you can control the type of oil you use, which is very important. Most store-bought vinaigrettes contain industrial seed oils, which I prefer to avoid as much as possible. Industrial seed oils are highly processed and don’t taste very good. This Honey Vinaigrette is made with a high-quality extra virgin olive oil and apple cider vinegar.

To make this Honey Vinaigrette, first, you will mince the garlic, finely chop a shallot, and grate the ginger. Toss those ingredients into a jar with some apple cider vinegar and a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. It is sweetened with honey and a dash of whiskey to add and an extra layer of depth. This honey vinaigrette is unparalleled to your average store-bought dressing.

How to PREPARE KALE FOR SALAD

Let’s talk about kale. We have all heard that kale is “good for us,” however, some people know it to be a garnish and see it as a bitter decoration unworthy of ingesting. I’m here to expand the preconceived idea that kale can’t taste good with a very simple step you may have overlooked.

Kale has a cell wall that is very strong and fibrous. That makes it difficult to chew, and honestly not very appealing. When preparing kale for a salad, the step that will transform your fibrous kale stalks into tender, crunchy leaves is the step of massaging the kale.

After the leaves have been washed, torn, and spun in a salad spinner, drizzle a small amount of Honey Vinaigrette on the leaves. Next, use your hands to rub the vinaigrette into the kale leaves thoroughly. This is going to break down those cell walls, making it tender and taking away the bitterness.

Have fun with the recipe. There is no need to stress over all of the steps or ingredients. Feel free to substitute whatever is available at your local grocery store. If Asian pear isn’t in season, green apple or any other variety of pear will work. Purple carrot is pretty specific. Feel free to use an orange carrot.

I hope you enjoy this salad, and it adds some color to the short winter days. Thanks for checking it out!