There are so many delicious kale salad ideas but I honestly, think this might be my favorite! This crispy kale salad is so satisfying and filled with so many textures and flavors. The crispy kale, persimmons, and walnuts add a fun crunch and is the perfect match to the sweet, salty, and tangy kale salad dressing!
This salad was inspired by something we often had at Beatrix in Chicago. Although they are most known for their brunch, a similar crispy kale persimmon salad they served was always my favorite thing on their menu. However, a couple of years ago, they stopped serving this salad with persimmons and replaced it with fresh papaya. The persimmons had added a much-needed crunch and light flavor that had now been replaced with a mushier, sweeter papaya. I’ve never been a huge fan of papaya and honestly, stopped ordering the salad after they did the switch.
So what’s a girl to do when something is just not available anymore? Make your own, of course! So that’s what I did. I combined homemade crispy kale chips with fresh greens, added the crunchy persimmons, shredded some parmesan, and topped it with walnuts, dates, and a light white balsamic vinaigrette.
The white balsamic vinaigrette can also be replaced with a honey Dijon mustard vinaigrette for a more savory salad. It also tastes amazing with candied bacon or pancetta if you’re looking to treat yourself to an extra salty bite! A big tip is to buy persimmons that are semi-ripe. Look for the ones that are bright orange but still have the firmness of a semi-ripe peach.
If you can’t find persimmons at your local grocery store, sweet, crispy apples or nectarines would be a great alternative! Whoever said eating your greens had to be boring?
Crispy Kale Salad with Persimmons and Dates
Ingredients
- 3 bunches kale
- 2 semi-ripe persimmons
- handful chopped dates
- chopped walnuts
- shaved parmesan cheese
White balsamic vinaigrette
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- Remove leaves from kale stems, wash and dry with salad spinner
- Separate kale into two separate batches. Set aside one batch to use for fresh part of salad.
- Drizzle one batch of kale lightly with olive oil and salt. Bake on a parchment paper lined baking pan for 10-15 minutes or until crispy.
White balsamic vinaigrette
- Mix all ingredients together and season with salt and pepper to taste
Assemble salad
- Lightly massage the other batch of kale that was put aside earlier.
- Peel and slice persimmons and place on bed of kale
- Add chopped dates, shaved parmesan, and walnuts to kale. Drizzle with vinaigrette.
- Top with crispy baked kale. Voilá, enjoy!
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