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A BELUGA & KALE SALAD w/ Orange Miso Dressing

It was over a bunch of kale that I met my man and the father to my children, so I felt it was only right to dedicate a kale recipe to Wolfgang. This is for you Wolfgang, to the best kale grower I know. Thank-you for nourishing Nelson for almost a quarter of a century. You are our food hero and will be missed.

Ingredients

Dressing

  • juice of 1 large juicy orange / approx. 1/3 cup juice
  • juice of 1 lime or 1/2 lemon
  • 1 Tbsp miso - I used Urban Hippy Miso made in Nelson
  • 1 tsp local honey
  • 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
  • 4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp finely grated ginger root

Salad

  • 1/2 cup black beluga OR French green lentils soaked for several hours
  • 4 large leaves of kale stalks removed - I used a mix of green and purple kale
  • extra virgin olive oil
  • lemon juice
  • salt
  • 10 Brussels sprouts OR 1/4 Chinese cabbage
  • 1/2 cup walnuts roughly chopped

Instructions

  • Drain the soaked lentils and place in a saucepan. Cover with plenty of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 15 minutes until tender. Drain through a sieve and season with a pinch of salt. Set aside to cool while making the salad and dressing.
  • Remove the stalks from the kale and tear the leaves into 'bite-sized' pieces. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil, a good squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Now get your hands in there and massage the leaves for several minutes. This helps to soften the otherwise tough fibres making them easier to digest. Spread on a large salad platter. Use a mandolin to finely shave the Brussels sprouts [or chop Chinese cabbage thinly] and scatter over the kale. Top with the drained lentils and scatter with chopped walnuts.
  • Make the dressing: Combine all the ingredients in a jar and shake well to combine. Drizzle over the salad and you are good to go! This dressing can be made ahead of time and is also delicious drizzled over roast vegetables. It is quite addictive so stock up on Miso and oranges :)

Notes

BELUGA LENTILS are small black lentils that hold their shape well when cooked so are perfect for tossing through salads. They are available through Chantal Organics. French green lentils or du Puy lentils can also be used with similar results.