Summer Kale Salad

Recipe by Catching Seeds

Strawberries. The bursting of their sweet juices, awaking my taste buds, brings back sweet, sweet memories. Strawberries, for me, come paired with memories of my grandma. She had countless strawberry plants lining the side of her small white house winding their way into her small backyard garden. Their bright white blossoms in spring foretold of...Read More

Ingredients

• 1 cup black caviar lentils (, rinsed)
• 2 cups sliced strawberries
• 3 scallions
• 1 bunch kale
• ⅓ cup hazelnuts
• for the Orange Balsamic Dressing:
• 1 clove garlic
• zest and juice from 1/2 an orange
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• ¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning
• ¼ cup olive oil ((divided))

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the hazelnuts on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool. Once the hazelnuts are cool enough to handle, use a clean dish towel to rub off the skins. After toasting the skins should be brittle and fall off easily. Coarsely chop the hazelnuts and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan combine lentils and 2 cups water. Bring to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook the lentils for 12-18 minutes until they have absorbed most of the water and are soft but not mushy. Drain lentils in a fine mesh colander and rinse with cold water until lentils are cold. Place in the bottom of a large bowl.
3. Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. Cut into bite size pieces and place in the bowl with the lentils. Slice the scallions into 1/4 inch pieces. Add scallions, hazelnuts, and strawberries to the bowl.
4. To make the dressing, whisk together all of the dressing ingredients except the olive oil. Once all the ingredients are incorporated slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly. This insures a creams emulsified dressing. Pour the dressing into the salad bowl and toss to coat completely. Serve.

View the recipe instructions at Catching Seeds