kale salad with pear, toasted almonds and aged gouda

Surprise, surprise, salad number two this week is a kale salad.  Did you really expect anything else?  I mean I already have 7 kale salad recipes on the blog, so why not add another one, right?  This salad is similar to my kale salad with delicata squash, almonds and aged cheddar.  I love the base of that salad, but wanted to make up a more kid friendly version, as my kids are not big fans of squash. They like butternut squash soup, and spaghetti squash tacos, but they don’t like cubed or sliced squash, they need it blended in something.  They’re huge fans of pears though, so I decided to add in some pears in place of the squash.  I also wanted to change up the cheese to addd some variety and I’ve heard that aged gouda pairs well with pears and apples, so I asked the cheese guy at my local market what gouda he recommended. He suggested that I use this Robusto Gouda from UnieKass. Ok, I totally loved this cheese and even found myself breaking off pieces of it to munch on while I grated the cheese.  Robusto Gouda is an aged gouda/parmesan hybrid that is creamy, nutty and sharp in flavor.  If you can’t find this particular cheese at your grocery store, then you can either ask the cheese guy at your store what type of cheese might be similar in taste in texture, or just pick up an aged gouda.  Oh, I also hear that this particular cheese pairs extremely well with beer. Hmmm….  I’m thinking this would be a great cheese to serve up with some cold beers for Sunday football.  Just saying…

This salad is so easy to make and the dressing is simply just a bit of olive oil and lemon.  The base of this salad (the kale) can be made ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate the massaged kale greens and add the pear, toasted almonds and cheese when you’re ready to eat or serve up the salad.  This salad pairs well with just about any fall soup, sandwich or entree.

kale salad with pear, toasted almonds and aged gouda:

serves 2-4

• 1 bunch of lacinato/dinasour kale, de-stemmed, thinly sliced – to see how to de-stem and thinly slice kale click here
• 1 pear, cut into small chunks
• 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted
• 1/4 cup shredded aged gouda cheese (not smoked gouda) – I used a Robusto Gouda from UnieKass.  Robusto gouda is an aged gouda/parmesan hybrid with a creamy, salty and nutty flavor.  It pairs perfectly with pears and apples.
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Let’s being by toasting up your sliced almonds. I tend to have toasted almonds on hand, as I use them in a lot of dishes. You can toast a bunch up and use what you need for a particular recipe and reserve the rest in a glass jar. They’re also great as a snack. To toast them, just put some sliced raw almonds in a dry skillet and swirl them around in the pan (over medium heat) for a few minutes until they become golden brown in color. Reserve them to the side.

Now it’s time to prep the rest of the ingredients. Wash, de-stem and thinly slice your kale.  If you’re not sure how to de-stem and slice kale then you can check out my post on how to de-stem and thinly slice kale, or you can watch the beginning part of my lacinato kale salad video for instructions as well.  This video has really helped my readers easily understand how to de-stem kale quickly over the sink.

Shred up your gouda cheese using a cheese grater.  I used the smaller holes on the grater to shred mine.  Dice up your pear.

Now it’s time to put the salad together. In a large salad bowl, add your sliced kale and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Massage the dressing into the kale.  When I say, massage your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it. When you massage kale, not only does it absorb the dressing, but it also breaks down the kale almost like when it’s cooked, and takes away any bitter flavor.

Add in the toasted almonds, shredded gouda and the diced pears. Toss well to coat.

The base of this salad (the kale) can be made ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate the massaged kale greens and add the pear, toasted almonds and cheese when you’re ready to eat or serve the salad.

kale salad with pear, toasted almonds and aged gouda

 

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Ingredients

• 1 bunch of lacinato/dinasour kale, de-stemmed, thinly sliced - to see how to de-stem and thinly slice kale click here
• 1 pear, cut into small chunks
• ¼ cup sliced almonds, toasted
• ¼ cup shredded aged gouda cheese (not smoked gouda) - I used a Robusto Gouda from UnieKass. Robusto gouda is an aged gouda/parmesan hybrid with a creamy, salty and nutty flavor. It pairs perfectly with pears and apples.
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Let's being by toasting up your sliced almonds. I tend to have toasted almonds on hand, as I use them in a lot of dishes. You can toast a bunch up and use what you need for a particular recipe and reserve the rest in a glass jar. They are also great as a snack.
2. To toast them, just put some sliced raw almonds in a skillet and swirl them around in the pan (over medium heat) for a few minutes until they become golden brown in color. Reserve them to the side.
3. Now it's time to prep the rest of the ingredients. Wash, de-stem and thinly slice your kale. If you're not sure how to de-stem and slice kale then you can check out my post on how to de-stem and thinly slice kale, or you can watch the beginning part of my lacinato kale salad video for instructions as well. This video has really helped my readers easily understand how to de-stem kale quickly over the sink.
4. Shred up your gouda cheese using a cheese grater. I used the smaller holes on the grater to shred mine.
5. Dice up your pear.
6. Now it’s time to put the salad together. In a large salad bowl, add your sliced kale and 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Massage the dressing into the kale.
7. When I say, massage your kale, I literally mean, get your hands in there and massage it. When you massage kale, not only does it absorb the dressing, but it also breaks down the kale almost like when it’s cooked, and takes away any bitter flavor.
8. Add in the toasted almonds, shredded gouda and the diced pears. Toss well to coat.
9. The base of this salad (the kale) can be made ahead of time, just cover and refrigerate the massaged kale greens and add the pear, toasted almonds and cheese when you're ready to eat the salad.

Nutrition Information

Serving size: 2-4

3.5.3251