plat du jour 03 : grilled kale salad with beets, figs, and ricotta

January 17, 2013

 

kalesalad

 For the first time in a long time, I am all about the greens. I’ve been juicing (my go-to), drinking smoothies each morning and enjoying ingredients like kale as much as I can. I’m all about hearty salads and some that balance good texture, a bit of dairy (mmm..ricotta) and seasonal greens like beets and kale are right up my alley. I love this salad because it’s got a little bit of sweet (yay, figs!) and a good crunch without a ton of prep.

Grilled Kale Salad with Beets, Figs, and Ricotta:

  • 4 small golden beets, peeled and cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tsp. maple syrup
  • one bunch of dinosaur (lacinto) kale (or green kale), bottoms of the stems removed
  • 12 fresh figs, black mission or Turkish brown figs, stemmed and halved
  • 1 generous cup of fresh ricotta
  • salt and pepper

Directions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 425F.  Toss the beet wedges with 1 Tbs. olive oil and sprinkle them with salt.  Spread them in a baking dish and roast, stirring occasionally, until tender, 20-20 minutes.
  2. Whisk together 2 Tbs. olive oil together with the balsamic vinegar and the maple syrup.  When the beets come out of the oven, toss them with the dressing.
  3. Heat your grill and coat the kale with the remaining olive oil and a good sprinkling of salt.  Spread the leaves out on the grill and cook them, turning each over once, until they have developed crispy edges and charred splotches, several minutes.  Transfer the kale to a cutting board, remove the tough center stems if you wish, and chop it coarsely.
  4. Put a spoonful of ricotta on each salad plate, then divide the kale between the plates.  Divide the beets between the salads, and drizzle some of the dressing that is leftover from the beets over each of the salads.  Finally, divide the figs between the salads, dollop the remaining ricotta over the salads, sprinkle each with salt and pepper, and serve.

[Recipe and image via 5 & Spice]

comments +

  1. shana says:

    this looks divine! nothing like a grill – however i do not have one – wondering what’s 2nd best for the kale other than sauteing?

    thanks so much from sha?na

  2. Annabelle says:

    That looks great! Opulent and healthy at the same time.

  3. Bodey says:

    I made this tonight with salmon and it was wonderful. This is a must share salad. Thank you.

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