Kale Salad Recipe

Prepare kale and romaine

Wash kale and romaine thoroughly. Strip kale leaves from thick stems and discard stems. Stack and roll the kale leaves and chop crosswise into ~1/2-inch ribbons. Chop romaine into bite-size pieces. Place both in a large bowl.

Massage kale

Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of the salt from the vinaigrette section over the chopped kale. Using clean hands, massage the kale for 1–2 minutes until it softens and darkens. This reduces toughness and bitterness.

Toast almonds

In a dry skillet over medium heat, add the sliced almonds and toast, stirring frequently, until fragrant and lightly browned, 3–5 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Cook bacon and make breadcrumbs

Heat a skillet over medium heat. Lay bacon slices in a single layer and cook until crisp, 6–10 minutes, turning as needed. Remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Reserve 1 tablespoon of bacon fat in the skillet. Crumble cooled bacon into bite-size pieces. To the reserved bacon fat, add the breadcrumbs and toast, stirring constantly, until golden and crisp, 2–4 minutes. Transfer breadcrumbs to paper towel to cool.

Combine salad components

Add the toasted almonds, dried currants, crumbled bacon, toasted breadcrumbs, and 2 tablespoons of the grated Parmesan to the bowl with kale and romaine. Toss gently to distribute ingredients evenly and set aside until ready to dress.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and black pepper. Whisk while slowly streaming in the extra-virgin olive oil until the dressing emulsifies and thickens slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning—add more salt, pepper, or honey as needed. If dressing is too sharp, add 1/2 teaspoon more honey; if too thick, whisk in up to 1 tablespoon water.

Reserve about 2 tablespoons of the dressing for drizzling over finished salad as a garnish, and pour the remaining dressing over the salad bowl.

Toss the dressed salad thoroughly but gently so all leaves are coated. Let sit 1–2 minutes so flavors mingle. Taste and add more dressing if needed (you might not need all the vinaigrette).

Transfer to a serving bowl or individual plates. Sprinkle the remaining 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan over the top, scatter the reserved toasted almonds and breadcrumbs if any remain, and finish with the reserved dressing drizzle. Serve immediately.