Kale Salad with Sweet Corn Dressing and Beets
This recipe is somewhat inspired by a meal I had many years ago with a friend. He served roasted beets over polenta and arugula and I had never experienced such a wonderful combination of summer flavors. Eating al fresco at sunset at the beach certainly helped me remember this meal. Here, we’re using fresh sweet corn, which complements the earthy, caramel notes of the beets. The toasted hazelnuts add sweetness, too, and a pleasant crunch.
Time: 45 min
Serves 4
Dressing
¾ cup fresh sweet corn kernels
½ cup olive oil
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp honey
Salad
2-3 beets, mix of red and yellow, peeled, and cut into half moons
2 Tbsp olive oil
⅛ tsp salt
1 large bunch kale, stems removed, hand-torn, and massaged
¼ cup chives, minced
½ cup hazelnuts
Preheat the oven to 425*
On a large baking sheet, arrange the beets in a single layer. Drizzle 2 Tbsp olive oil and ⅛ tsp salt and mix until coated evenly (keep the yellow and red beets separate to avoid staining).
Roast for 25-30 minutes until they’re easily pierced with a fork and have started to color. Remove from oven and set aside.
Meanwhile, prepare the dressing. Add the corn kernels, olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, and honey in a blender. Purée until very smooth. Set aside.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry skillet over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, shaking the skillet occasionally. To remove their skins, place the hazelnuts in a kitchen towel and rub them together. It’s okay if they’re not perfect (they’ll still taste fine!). Roughly chop them or break them apart by pressing down with the flat side of a chef’s knife.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the kale and corn dressing until all the leaves are evenly coated. Tongs work really well for this task.
To serve, make a bed of the kale greens, then the beets, and sprinkle with plenty of chives and hazelnuts.