Monday, May 23, 2011

Kale, Chickpea and Golden Beet Salad

I had to take something to a friend's potluck yesterday and couldn't for the life of me figure out what to make. I was in the mood to "make" and not just pick up something from the store. It was a beautiful Sunday and the sun was out. I could feel summer just around the corner. I put a bottle of lambrusco in to chill and headed out to the farmer's market. I thought the trip would help me figure out what I wanted to make; instead, I ended up with bags of vegetables all over my counter and too many ideas floating in my head. In the end I chose the kale as the main player and came up with this salad. (I also ended up making the Green Goddess Chicken Salad in the entry below.)


1 large bunch kale, rinsed thoroughly and coarsely chopped
6-7 golden beets, peeled
1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
olive oil
lemon
salt
pepper
ground roasted cumin

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In bowl, add beets, some olive oil, salt and coarse black pepper, making sure beets are fully coated. Transfer to shallow baking dish and cover with foil. Cook for 30 minutes, or until a small knife easily slides through. When done, allow to cool, then cut into quarters. (Note: these can be roasted in advance.)

While beets are roasting, heat 3tbs olive oil in large pan and add garlic. (Don't let the oil get too hot or the garlic will burn.) Add kale and saute until it starts to wilt. Add a splash of balsamic vinegar and a splash of rice wine vinegar. This particular batch of kale was more bitter than usual, and I found the addition of the vinegars helped cut the bitterness of the kale. Once kale cools, transfer to a large bowl. Add chickpeas, onions, and roasted beets. Toss with juice of one medium lemon, salt, pepper and roasted cumin powder.

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