Kale and Cherry Salad

May is National Salad Month and Coryanne from our Kitchen Council is helping us celebrate the season of salads with a delicious kale, quinoa, couscous, and cherry salad. Cherries are in-season now from Stemilt, and will be through the month of July.

Admittedly I am late to the kale bandwagon, I had even thought that I might have missed it, but alas, kale is still a trending topic and finally I have a recipe that allows me to enjoy it with gusto and join the party.  I’ve found that a dabble-do you of coconut oil in a hot cast iron skillet offers a beautifully charred taste to kale that pairs so beautifully with fresh cherries.   The combination leaves you craving it even after the first bite.  Blended with savory grains, hard cheese, pistachios and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar, it is quite possibly the best salad I have had in years.

To save time in the kitchen, I will make a batch of mixed grains and store them in the fridge, allowing me to whip this salad up in less than 5 minutes, but if you start from scratch, you could be cooking for up to 40 minutes, so take care not to eat all the cherries before you are done cooking.

Kale and Cherry Salad

• Ingredients
• Instructions
• Nutritional Information

Ingredients

• 2 Cups of fresh sweet cherries, pitted, stemmed and sliced
• Half of a lemon, squeezed
• 4 cups of fresh kale
• 3 tbsp of shelled pistachios
• 3 tbsp of shaved Pecorino Romano cheese, or similar
• 1 tbsp of coconut oil
• 1/2 Cup of Red Quinoa
• 1/2 Cup of Israeli Couscous
• Drizzle of balsamic vinegar to taste

Pan-fried kale gives this unique cherry and grain salad terrific texture and a nutritional boost.

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• Yield
  2 servings
• Prep time
  00:15
• Cook time
  00:30
• Total time
  00:45
• Cuisine
  American
• In Category
  Lunch, Dinner
• Level
  Easy

Instructions

1. Add the coconut oil to a hot cast iron or skillet pan and toss in the kale. Allow the kale to cook for a moment before adding the lemon juice.
2. Stir occasionally and then remove once the kale starts to blacken on the tips and turns a vibrant dark green.
3. While the kale is cooking, cook the Couscous and Quinoa according the directions on the packet then allow them to cool to room temperature before blending with the cooked kale.
4. Toss in the cherries, nuts and cheese, then drizzle with Balsamic vinegar.

Nutritional Information

Per Serving

• Calories: 317
• Fat Content: 5.9g
• Cholesterol Content: 15mg
• Sodium Content: 175mg
• Carbohydrate Content: 51.7g
• Sugar Content: 13.7g
• Protein Content: 13g