LOWER-FAT KALE SLAW WITH PEANUT DRESSING

More kale!  These days I'm constantly looking for great ways to use the ever-abundant kale supply coming out of our garden. Today I give you my version of an old Martha Stewart recipe (from 2009), to which I made a few changes.  1.) I lowered the oil content from 1/2 cup to 2 tablespoons (and I used olive oil); 2.) I used julienned carrots instead of "coins"; and 3.) I "massaged" the kale-- which is just rubbing the sliced raw kale for a very few minutes to break down some of the connective tissue of the kale leaves so that it is softer.

I really liked the idea of the peanut dressing, and it is a delicious, but not heavy, dressing for this salad.  I thought of a few changes I could make next time I prepare this: add some grated ginger to the dressing; add some Sriracha sauce; use small cubes of cooked sweet potato instead of the carrots; use rice vinegar instead of cider...

Printable Copy

BRYANNA’S LOWER-FAT KALE SLAW WITH PEANUT DRESSING

Serves 6

10 cups of thinly sliced kale (wash, drain and strip from stalks before slicing crosswise)
1 tablespoon olive oil

1 red bell pepper, seeded and thinly-sliced

2 medium carrots, julienned (I used a julienne vegetable cutter/peeler-- see this post about the one I prefer)

Dressing:

6 tablespoons aquafaba or Oil Substitute for Salad Dressing

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup salted peanuts

2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon coarse salt

Topping:

1/4 cup salted peanuts

Toss together the sliced kale and the first 1 tablespoon of oil in a large bowl. Mix and lightly squeeze or rub the kale for a couple of minutes, just to soften the kale a bit.

To make the Dressing, add the Oil Sub, vinegar, 1/4 cup peanuts brown sugar, 1 tablespoon olive   oil and salt to your blender and mix at high speed until smooth.

Pour the dressing over the vegetables and toss well. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup salted peanuts, whole or coarsely chopped—your choice!

Enjoy!