Kale Salad with Honey’d Walnuts

SERVES — 6 to 8

Kale salad, how 2013, I know. But it’s undeniably a great candidate for a meal like this. It’s sturdy, almost masquerading as a side instead of a salad, it’s one of the only salad greens that get better with age (can be made ahead, really!) and can even be saved as a leftover with little to no consequences. I don’t think any of that will convince you to make a salad for Thanksgiving if that’s not your thing (I will still try to get you to make a salad every year for Thanksgiving), but maybe the tangy dressing with lots of garlic or salty-sweet walnuts will do it because trust me, your plate needs the tangy dressing with lots of garlic and salty-sweet walnuts in between bites of the heavy cream and potato.

Ingredients

• 1–1 ½ cup raw walnuts, coarsely chopped
• 3–4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice and 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon zest (from about 2 lemons), plus more
• ½ teaspoon fish sauce, plus more (optional)
• 1–2 cloves garlic, finely grated
• 2 bunches lacinato kale, stems removed, torn into bite-sized pieces
• 1 cup parsley, tender leaves and stems
• 1 bunch chives, finely chopped
• ½ bunch tarragon or mint, tender leaves and stems only

Preparation

1. Heat walnuts and olive oil in a small skillet over medium high heat. Toast, tossing occasionally, until the walnuts are nicely toasted, about two minutes. Add honey and give it a stir– it’ll bubble up and start to caramelize a bit around the edges, this is good. Continue to cook as the honey reduces, evenly coating all the nuts, another two or so minutes. Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper; set aside. These are your make ahead nuts. You can make them two days ahead, wrapped very well and stored at room temperature.
2. Combine lemon juice, lemon zest, ½ teaspoon fish sauce and grated garlic in a large bowl. Add kale and season with salt and pepper. Using your hands, massage well, evenly coating each leaf of gorgeous kale. Taste a leaf and adjust any seasoning (more lemon, fish sauce, salt or pepper). This is your make ahead salad. It can be made one day ahead, stored in a large resealable bag or glass container and refrigerated. To serve, keep reading.
3. To serve your salad, place dressed kale in a large serving bowl. Add parsley, chives and any other herbs you’re using, tossing to coat. Once again, taste a leaf and adjust any seasoning (more lemon, fish sauce, salt or pepper). Add honey’d walnuts, toss to coat (there should be a little honey’d walnut in each bite, they aren’t just a topping) and serve.

DO AHEAD: You can make the nuts a few days ahead, stored wrapped tightly and stored at room temperature. You can season the salad (sans finishing herbs and nuts) a few hours ahead if you want (kind of marinates the kale, wilting it slightly but making it taste very good).

LEFTOVERS: A good bed for “Thanksgiving Salad” which is what it sounds like. A pile of leftover turkey, maybe some of those nuts, some stray green beans and a sliced apple or something. Would eat that.