‘Gander Recipe: Kale Salad with Goat Cheese and a Lemon Olive Oil Dressing

This salty-sweet salad pairs beautifully with a cool glass of Prosecco. Make it an easy meal by adding new potatoes, soft-boiled egg, or a rotisserie chicken and crusty bread.

Serves 4-6.

Ingredients

Salad

1 large bunch of curly kale 

½ head escarole

1 c. crumbled goat cheese 

1 seedless cucumber, peeled into ribbons

1 c. thinly sliced red onion

1/2 c. sunflower seeds

½ c. dried cranberries

½ c. carrots, sliced thinly on an angle or chopped

6-8 slices of crispy prepared bacon, chopped

¼ c. olive oil (optional) 

½ tsp. of salt (optional)

Dressing

Juice of 1 lemon

Zest of 1 lemon

⅓ c. olive oil

½ tsp. salt 

¼ tsp. pepper 

2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Directions:

1. Wash the kale and tear or cut the leafy greens from the thick center ribs. Continue tearing or chopping the greens into bite-sized pieces. If you prefer, you can reduce the bitterness of raw kale by placing it into a bowl with the optional olive oil and salt and massaging the greens for a few minutes.  
2. Rinse, dry, and chop the escarole. 
3. Combine remaining salad ingredients. 
4. In a small container with a lid (like a mason jar), combine the dressing ingredients and shake until fully incorporated. Later, the oil may separate–simply shake before using again.