A unique take on kale salad from Gjelina – one of Los Angeles’s most talked-about restaurants, lauded by critics and beloved by stars, locals, and out-of-towners alike for its seductive simplicity and eclectic Cal-Med menu from talented chef Travis Lett.
Tired of the usual kale salad? Try grilling kale – you will love how crispy the charred edges are – kind of like eating kale chips, and the tangy yogurt dressing is deliciously cool and refreshing with a satisfying nutty crunch from toasted hazelnuts.
It’s a darn good thing that I’ve always been committed to cooking healthy, nutritious meals for my family since Day 1, because now it’s a life or death call to action. If I hadn’t been interested in health and nutrition since I was a teenager eating brewer’s yeast (what teen does that?), been eliminating processed foods, sugar, and salt from our diet for over a decade, and making home-cooked meals nearly every night, then the recent turn of events would seem like an almost insurmountable task.
(To qualify the overused and often misused words “healthy and nutritious”, I mean balanced meals that include protein, carbs with fiber from whole grains and lots of fresh vegetables – many from our garden – and fruits with very few foods from a can, box, or jar.)
The reason why it’s a darn good thing is it’s making the adaptation to my husband’s cardiologist-mandated strict low-sodium diet a little less brutal than if we were in the habit of drive-through breakfasts, fast food lunches, or takeout dinners on a regular basis. And, it’s still been tough because, although I diligently read labels, its amazing how insidious sodium is until you’re trying to consume less than 2,000 milligrams a day! A few slices of deli turkey (920 mg) with low-cal mayo (125 mg) between two slices of whole wheat bread (320 – 160 for each slice) with NO cheese, sounds pretty healthy, but has a whopping 1365 mg of sodium, nearly all of his daily recommended allowance of 1500 mg, and that’s just lunch! Fortunately, I discovered Low-Sodium Ezekiel bread which has 0 sodium and The Don is enjoying avocado, tomato, and cucumber veggie sandwiches several days a week.
But let’s get to today’s recipe which I found online at L.A. Times Food after reading a very interesting article on how restaurants are cutting back on salt and hoping you won’t notice it. I was looking for a creative recipe for the kale that I picked up when shopping for ingredients for my Farmers Market Makeover entry and this was a unique take on kale salad. I loved how crispy the charred edges were – kind of like eating kale chips, and the tangy yogurt dressing was deliciously refreshing with a satisfying crunch from the hazelnuts.
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- 1 shallot very thinly sliced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 10 mint leaves chopped
- ¼ cup plus 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided use
- 3-4 tablespoons red wine vinegar or to taste
- Salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- ½ cup raw hazelnuts skin on
- 2 bunches Russian kale stems removed*
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Heat the oven (or toaster oven) to 350 degrees. Heat your grill to medium-high heat or a grill pan over medium-high heat until hot.
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In a mixing bowl, combine the yogurt, shallot, garlic, mint, ¼ cup olive oil, red wine vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon each of salt and pepper. This makes about 1½ cups dressing, more than is needed for this recipe. The dressing will keep for up to 3 days, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
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Place the hazelnuts on a rimmed cookie sheet and toast in the oven until fragrant and golden, about 8-10 minutes. Transfer the hazelnuts to a clean, damp kitchen towel and rub to remove the skins. Chop roughly and set aside.
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Place the greens in a bowl and lightly coat with the remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil. Lightly season with salt and pepper. Place the greens on the grill until edges are slightly charred, 1-2 minutes depending on how hot your grill is. Move the greens around to avoid burning and continue wilting for another minute or so.
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They should be slightly charred on the edges and softened in the middle.
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Remove the greens to a large bowl or platter. Top with desired amount of dressing and sprinkle with hazelnuts. Serve immediately.
*Lett suggests Russian kale, I used organic Lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan, Dinosaur and Black kale) purchased at the farmers market.
From L.A. Times Test Kitchen - Adapted from Travis Lett of Gjelina
Oooh love this salad! Grilled Kale sound super delish and hearty! Thanks for sharing this- I am totally gonna make soon!
Thanks, Lindsey – I think you’ll like it 🙂
Salad looks wonderful.
Salad looks great! Sodium can be such a tough one to cut out – even if you are good at making well balanced meals! Good luck!
Thanks, Erin – it has been a challenge!
This salad looks fantastic, love this! 🙂
wow grilled kale very cool
I am a kale lover so I’m bookmarking this one, I agree it’s a unique recipe that looks healthy and good. I need to branch out, no pun intended) and try some new veggie recipes, thanks for sharing- I hope your awareness of healthy eating rubs off on me!
Patty – always looking to mix things up, we’ve got a long haul ahead of us 😉
This is a very cool recipe! I love that the kale is grilled, and the dressing & nuts sound like they really seal the deal… Yummy! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Your welcome – thanks for visiting!
I wish I have a vegetable garden like this. In my yard, deer comes by and eat them all. I love this salad! So healthy and important to eat green daily!
Yes, if you have deer, they can be a big problem!
This recipe looks amazing and you did a great job with it 🙂 Yes, two grams of salt is really not that much but in another sense, it can totally be bad. I like to substitute natural flavorings in place of having to use salt. A pinch will totally bring out the strong flavors of say, lemon juice, you know? Your husband and family are totally lucky to have such a nutrition/health-conscious woman in their lives 🙂
Thank you, Hester! I also use a lot of lemon and herbs for flavoring 🙂
I’ve grilled lettuce and radicchio before but not kale! Great idea. Good luck to your husband on his new diet.
Thank you Sylvie – he has become my muse in the kitchen 🙂
A very different yet so delicious summer recipe! I like the extra addition of toasted hazelnuts on top.
This sounds great! I’ve never tried grilling kale (didn’t know you could!) so it’s definitely something I want to have my crack at soon =)
Yum Yum!! Looks like something I would definitely enjoy! Seems rather simple too…I think this is a must try in the near future
I’ve thought for some time restaurant food is too salty, glad they are cutting back. I would much rather have kale this way than the chips. Yum.
-Gina-
I absolutely love the idea of grilled kale and I will be trying this soon! The hazelnuts are a brilliant addition too!
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe! Love Gjelina and this dish looks so refreshing and creamy at the same time!
What an awesome dish! I love kale and am looking for new ways to incorporate it into meals.
Hi Priscilla, I like your new design 🙂 I am also a label reader but never paid too much attention to the salt/sodium, I will now. This is such a great recipe! Healthy but delicious. Often times people associate the word healthy with tasteless foods, how wrong are they. Thanks for sharing and I hope you and your family are well:)
Thanks, Nancy – I’m excited about my new look! And I agree, healthy and delicious aren’t mutually exclusive 😉
Wow, out of all things that I have grilled (and that includes artichokes and asparagus) I never thought of grilling kale, but I like this recipe and am about to share it. Toasted hazelnuts are a favorite of mine, too. Talk about making a kale salad special!