My favorite variety of kale is Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan or black kale. Whether raw or sautéed, I love its hearty texture, its slightly bitter flavor and its versatility. For this salad, I shredded the Tuscan kale into bite-sized pieces and topped it with roasted figs, parsnips, and crunchy toasted hazelnuts. For a nice creamy element, I like serving this salad with wedges of dreamy Roquefort cheese. (Any sort of blue cheese would do here, but I love the strong flavor and slight spiciness of the Roquefort blue cheese.)
(To view this recipe, click on the blue title of the blog post above*)
Shredded Kale Salad with Balsamic-Roasted Figs, Parsnips & Roquefort
Ingredients:
- 1 bunch of Tuscan kale, stems trimmed, leaves cut into shredded/bite-sized pieces
- 8-10 fresh Black Mission figs, halved
- ½ lb. parsnips, peeled and sliced into rounds
- ½ cup hazelnuts
- Fresh thyme
- Olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Balsamic vinegar
- Wedge of Roquefort cheese, cut into slices
Directions:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Spray a foil or parchment-lined bakign sheet with olive oil spray. Arrange the parsnips, halved figs (cut side up), and hazelnuts in an even layer on the pan. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with a touch of salt and pepper, and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of fresh thyme as well. Roast in the preheated oven for 15-18 minutes, or until the parsnips are tender.
- Toss the shredded kale in a salad bowl with 1 Tablespoon of olive oil, 2 Tablespoons of balsamic vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Add the roasted nuts, figs and parsnips to the top of the salad bowl. Serve the salad with slices of the Roquefort cheese.
Tagged: balsamic vinegar, balsamic-roasted figs, blue cheese, figs, fresh thyme, hazelnuts, kale salad, Lacinato kale, parsnips, raw kale salad, roasted figs, roasted vegetables, Roquefort cheese, Salad, shredded kale
Looks delicious!
Thanks, Leanne! This was one of those recipes born from random ingredients in the fridge. Love when that happens…