Jul 14 2026
Restaurants›May Day›Kale Salad Recipe

Kale Salad Recipe

Inspired by May Day
Time45m
Serves4

PINE NUT VINAIGRETTE, PICKLED APPLE, CRISPY SUNCHOKES

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Ingredients

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Salad Greens & Mix-ins

Pickled Apple

Pine Nut Vinaigrette

Crispy Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)

Method

Pickled Apple

  1. 1

    Make quick pickles

    In a small saucepan combine apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, and kosher salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Place the prepared apple slices in a heatproof jar or bowl and pour the hot pickling liquid over them. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes (can refrigerate up to 24 hours). Reserve pickling liquid for dressing if desired.

Pine Nut Vinaigrette

  1. 2

    Toast pine nuts

    Place 3 tablespoons pine nuts in a small skillet over medium heat. Toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and just golden, about 2–3 minutes. Transfer half to a bowl (for garnish) and let cool. Keep the rest for the dressing.

  2. 3

    Blend vinaigrette

    In a blender or food processor, combine toasted pine nuts for the dressing, white wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, salt, and pepper. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, slowly stream in the extra-virgin olive oil until emulsified and creamy, about 30–45 seconds. Taste and adjust seasoning. If too thick, thin with 1–2 tablespoons of the reserved pickling liquid or water.

Crispy Sunchokes (Jerusalem Artichokes)

  1. 4

    Prepare sunchokes

    Heat neutral oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering (about 350°F / 175°C if using a thermometer). Pat sunchoke slices very dry with paper towels to remove surface moisture—this prevents splattering and helps crisping.

  2. 5

    Fry until crisp

    Working in a single layer (do not crowd), fry sunchoke slices for 2–4 minutes per side until golden-brown and crisp. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to a paper towel-lined tray. Immediately season with 1/2 teaspoon fine salt. If you prefer, you can shallow-fry in batches with 2–3 tablespoons oil each batch to reduce oil usage; adjust cook time accordingly.

Salad Assembly

  1. 6

    Massage kale

    Place the sliced kale in a large bowl. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the pine nut vinaigrette and 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale for 1–2 minutes until it softens and darkens — this makes it tender and less bitter.

  2. 7

    Combine ingredients

    To the massaged kale add the julienned apple (fresh), the reserved quick-pickled apple (drained or a few pieces with some pickling liquid for extra tang), thinly sliced red onion, and chopped parsley. Toss gently to combine.

  3. 8

    Dress and finish

    Drizzle additional pine nut vinaigrette (about 2–3 tablespoons, or to taste) over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts reserved for garnish and shaved Parmesan. Scatter the crispy sunchokes on top so they remain crunchy. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper as needed.

  4. 9

    Serve

    Serve immediately so the sunchokes remain crisp. Leftovers can be stored briefly with dressing separate—re-crisp sunchokes in a 375°F (190°C) oven for 5 minutes before serving if needed.

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