Kale and Broccoli Matchstick Salad with Hazelnuts
Fresh and crunchy, this isn’t an ordinary salad. It features thinly sliced ribbons of kale with an often overlooked vegetable, broccoli stems. The next time you use broccoli florets in a recipe, instead of discarding the stems, you’ll want to save them for this deeply satisfying salad. It’s topped with toasted hazelnuts and sharp manchego cheese. Sautéed leeks with lemon juice and olive oil create a rich dressing (and also tastes lovely as a sauce on fish).
Tip: After you slice the kale and before you add it to any other ingredients, squeeze it roughly in your hands as though you were crumpling a paper bag. This “massage” makes it more tender and easier to digest.
Tip: This recipe uses a simple technique to remove the skins from the hazelnuts. After a few minutes of toasting on a baking sheet in the oven, the skins easily rub off with a towel. It’s worth the extra step; removing the slightly bitter skins make the nuts sweeter.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup raw hazelnuts
- 1 lb. fresh kale, stems and ribs removed and discarded, leaves thinly sliced
- 3 broccoli stems, peeled, cut into matchstick-sized pieces (about 1 cup)
- Sea salt (or Himalayan salt) (to taste; optional), divided use
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 medium leeks, whites and tender greens only, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
- Ground black pepper (to taste; optional)
- ¼ cup shredded Manchego (or Pecorino Romano or Parmesan) cheese
Instructions
Here are your instructions:
Preheat oven to 350° F.
Place hazelnuts on baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden. Transfer to a clean kitchen towel to cool. Rub off skins and discard; coarsely chop nuts. Set aside.
Place kale and broccoli in a medium bowl. Season with salt if desired; mix well. Set aside.
To make dressing, heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Add leeks; cook, stirring frequently, for 4 to 5 minutes or until tender.
Add lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper if desired; mix well.
Top kale mixture with dressing, hazelnuts, and cheese; mix well.
Recipe Notes
