Warm Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts and Sweet Onion Balsamic Dressing

Hey fellow vegetarians – what do you overindulge in over Thanksgiving? We don’t have the turkey, sometimes we don’t even have the stuffing (if it’s made with chicken broth), but there is still SO MUCH FOOD.

For me it’s carbs. Biscuits and vegetarian stuffing and bread crumb-coated casserole and just ALL THE CARBS.

This week I told Ryan I’m going to eat salads, because I need some greens in my life. I’m not big on detoxing, because I think that would make me go on a carb freakout fest at the end of my detox. Instead, I’ll just try to up my intake of green, colorful, nutrient-dense foods.

…and still enjoy carbs, because bread.

This salad is a good bridge between comfort and health, with creamy goat cheese, a warm and bright sweet onion balsamic, and hearty tuscan kale. For the dressing, you cook some garlic and onions in oil with some salt and sugar until lightly softened, and then blend it together with balsamic. Massaging warm dressing into the kale helps it break down and become less bitter, while the warm dressing makes the creamy tanginess of the goat cheese crumbles melt into that flavorful kale.

For a little extra crunch and richness, I added some pine nuts. I like to buy them in bulk, since they’re so expensive you’d think they were gold-coated. If you don’t have pine nuts, and/or would like to save some money, you may sub chopped walnuts or even slivered almonds.

No more cold salads for me this winter. Warm, cheesy salads win.

Print Recipe

Warm Kale Salad with Goat Cheese, Pine Nuts and Sweet Onion Balsamic Dressing

A bright, fresh salad made of tuscan kale, creamy goat cheese and pine nuts, tossed with a warm sweet onion balsamic dressing. Simple and so tasty!

Yield: 4-6 servings

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ¼ cup chopped yellow onion
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 3 teaspoons cane sugar
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 bunch kale (about 8 loose cups chopped)
• ¼ cup pine nuts
• 3 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a small-medium fry pan. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add the onions, salt, and sugar. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until the onions are softened.
2. Transfer to a blender, pour in the balsamic, and blend until smooth.
3. Pour the dressing over the kale and massage thoroughly with your hands.
4. Toss with pine nuts and goat cheese. May be served warm right away, or cold for leftovers.

Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 of 4 servings. 4 servings is more of a main course, while 6 servings is more of a side.

Nutrition Information: Serving size: 1/4 of recipe, Calories: 324, Sugar: 4.1g, Sodium: 422mg, Fat: 23.9g, Saturated Fat: 7.2g, Carbs: 19.2g, Fiber: 2.5g, Protein: 11.7g