Kale Salad With Toasted Pita and Parmesan

This salad is giving me life right this moment! Although I love winter comfort foods, I find it hard to crave fresh vegetables after weeks of eating heavy roasted and stewed food. Today I bought a $0.99 bunch of kale, and then I looked in my pantry for other options to add to my salad. I toasted a pita and added a few walnuts, golden raisins, parmesan, and my favorite champagne vinaigrette. Kale Salad With Toasted Pita And Parmesan is light and filling. It’s full of earthy-nutty flavors and just enough sweetness to keep things interesting. This is a simple, delicious winter salad.

DRESSING OPTIONS

The grocery store had no vinegar, so I could not make my champagne vinaigrette. The vinegar would have been twice as expensive as the dressing, so I bought a bottle of Girard’s Champagne Vinaigrette in the odd triangle bottle. This salad would be great paired with a Caesar dressing that isn’t creamy. My favorite brand is Ken’s Steakhouse. Any kind of lemon vinaigrette or something fruity like orange or pomegranate would be great!

Texture is everything

This salad is all about texture. Make sure you get the kale very finely shredded. Even if you cannot shred the kale perfectly, chop it finely. Pre-cut kale is better than buying a bunch.

KALE SALAD WITH TOASTED PITA and PARMESAN

Salads aren’t just for summer. This Kale Salad With Toasted Pita And Parmesan has winter flavors but is light, fresh, crunchy, and delicious!

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

8 cups of shredded kale (about one bunch) $0.99
1 whole wheat pita ($0.25)
1/2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.08)
1/4 cup chopped walnuts ($0.57)
1/3 cup golden raisins ($0.40).
1/3 cup Parmesan shredded or grated ($0.74)
1/3 cup champagne vinaigrette ($0.80)

INSTRUCTIONS

Take the kale leaves out of the stems. One handful at a stretch, one at a time. Next, gently pull your fingers back one inch at a time. Slice the kale into small pieces. Rinse the shredded kale well in a colander. Let the kale dry while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Slice the pita into 1-inch strips. Place the pita triangles into a bowl. Drizzle olive oil over them. Mix the oil into the pita and toss it until it is coated. Place the pita in a small skillet on medium heat. Once the skillet has reached a high temperature, add it to the pan. Stir the pita into a large skillet until it is hot and crispy.
Add the chopped walnuts to the skillet. Cook the walnuts in the skillet dry for about 1-2 minutes or until they smell toasty. To prevent them from burning, remove them immediately from the skillet.
Place the chopped, washed, and dried kale in a large bowl. Toss together the walnuts, Parmesan, Parmesan and golden raisins. Toss the mixture with the champagne vinaigrette.
Serve the salad right away or allow it to rest for about 10-15 minutes so that the dressing can slightly soften the kale.