I looked at my instagram profile yesterday and was embarrassed by how much food I've been posting. The hazards of being 7 months pregnant I guess. This salad is too good not to share, especially because it's right on par for all of you that are trying to get back into the healthy swing of things for the New Year. I can't remember where I found it (pinterest is my best bet) but I traced it back to a new favorite blog, How Sweet It Is.
This salad is seriously good.
Crispy Autumn Kale Salad
1 Bunch of Kale, torn from stems and torn into pieces
2 teaspoons of olive oil
2 teaspoons of apple cider
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
4 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
1 shallot, diced
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 sweet potato, diced
1 Honeycrisp apple, diced
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
2 oz. goat cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup pomegranate arils
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place kale in a large bowl and massage olive oil, apple cider, 1/8 teaspoon salt, nutmeg and pepper into for 1-2 minutes. Spread on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 10 minutes. Toss well and roast for 5-10 minutes more, until slightly crispy but not golden.
While kale is roasting, heat a skillet over medium heat and add bacon. Cook until crispy and fat is rendered (about 2 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a paper towel. Add the shallot, garlic, sweet potatoes and apples to the skillet, tossing with remaining salt and cinnamon. You want the sweet potato and apple finely diced, about the same size as the bacon bits and only slightly larger than the pom arils and pine nuts. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until soft.
In a small saucepan, add pine nuts and toast over low heat for 5-6 minutes, until golden and fragrant. Set aside.
Combine kale with apples and sweet potatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese and pom arils. I don't find this needs any sort of additional dressing (the kale will not stay crispy) but feel free to add some if you'd like.
