Kale & Brussels Salad with Balsamic-Roasted Cherries & Shallots by Chef Lizette Marx

Chef Lizette Marx, an instructor for our Holistic Chef Online Culinary Program, shares a Summer salad recipe that’s sure to please.

Learn how to bring Chef Lizette’s Kale and Brussels Salad with Balsamic-Roasted Cherries & Shallots to your table, today.

Kale, Brussels Sprouts & Cherries

I have made many kale salads over the years. This version makes the hearty, dark leafy greens less chewy and more palatable. Both the kale and Brussels sprouts are massaged with sea salt to break them down and make them more tender and easier to digest.

Cherry season here is just beginning, so I encourage you take advantage, but you can use the same concept with other stone fruits, strawberries, and even dark red or purple grapes. The cherries’ juicy, vibrant flavors are enhanced by roasting them with shallots, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sea salt, and plenty of freshly cracked pepper.

The finishing touches include a lemony smashed garlic vinaigrette and toasted hazelnuts. Feel free to add your favorite cheese. My favorites are shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano or Ricotta Salata.

Check out the recipe below and learn more about Chef Lizette by visiting our faculty page.

Kale & Brussels Salad with Balsamic-Roasted Cherries & Shallots

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 cup hazelnuts
• 2 cups Bing cherries, halved and pitted
• 3 medium shallots, sliced thinly
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground pepper
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• 1 teaspoon Djon mustard
• 2 bunches of Lacinato kale, stemmed and chiffonade (leaves cut into thin ribbons)
• 6 Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 3 cups of arugula
• 2 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano or Ricotta Salata, shaved with a peeler to form ribbons

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 350º F.
2. Spread hazelnuts onto a parchment-lined baking sheet and toast in the oven for 8 minutes or until skins darken and can peel easily when rubbed between your thumb and index finger. Transfer hazelnuts to a clean, flat-weave tea towel and roll them up in the towel. Then, rub hazelnuts while inside the towel thoroughly to remove the skins. Lightly crush nuts in a mortar and pestle or chop roughly with a chef knife on a cutting board. (Save the parchment paper and keep the oven on.)
3. Place Bing cherries and shallots in a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, sea salt, and pepper. Spread onto the same parchment-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven for 20 minutes or until cherries are plump and skins are wrinkled or bursting. Remove from the oven and set aside. Be sure to save the juices from the pan.
4. Using a mortar and pestle, grind smashed garlic, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and a pinch of sea salt into a paste. Drizzle in the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.
5. In a large bowl, massage kale and Brussels sprouts with 1/4 teaspoon of sea salt for 1 to 2 minutes or until the leaves are  tender and start to glisten. Toss in lemon and garlic dressing.
6. To serve salad, fold roasted cherries, shallots, and pan juices together with kale, Brussels sprouts, and arugula. Top with toasted nuts and cheese ribbons. Enjoy!