Quick & easy Cavolo Nero Kale (Tuscan) Salad made with a handful of ingredients in 10 minutes! It's easy enough to make on busy weeknights and delicious enough to serve on special occasions!
This is, no doubt, my favorite kale (Tuscan) salad! The incredibly flavorful lemon garlic dressing tossed with strips of fresh kale is what makes it 'next level! Just wait until you taste it!
This Tuscan Kale Salad recipe is inspired by the kale salad served at True Food Kitchen. I decided to change things up a bit by using hemp hearts instead of bread crumbs, parmesan cheese instead of Pecorino Toscano cheese, and leaving the red pepper flakes out.
While I do make this delicious salad pretty much all year long, I tend to enjoy it most as a side served with pesto tortellini or homemade lasagna during the cold winter months. It's so good!
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
Inspired by the Tuscan Kale Salad served at my absolute favorite restaurant, this delicious Tuscan kale salad is perfect to serve with any meal, any time of year!
- Quick and Easy This is made with simple ingredients in 10 minutes. Once the kale is cut into strips, just whisk the dressing together and toss everything together. So easy!
- Meal Prep Not all salads with leafy greens can be made ahead of time, but this one can! Kale is a hearty green, so it holds up much better than spring mix or romaine lettuce.
- Kid-Approved This is my son's favorite salad. In fact, he likes it so much that he often packs leftovers in his lunch for school. I serve it as a side dish, but this salad can easily be turned into a complete meal by topping it with a protein (like salmon, chicken, or hard-boiled egg) and a hearty piece of bread.
What Is Tuscan Kale?
Tuscan kale goes by many names: Cavolo Nero, Lacinato kale, Italian kale, dinosaur kale, palm tree kale, and black kale. Tuscan kale is a variety of kale that has been used in Italian cuisine for hundreds of years, especially in regions like Tuscany.
Most commonly called Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale in the United States, this type of kale has a deeper color and is more tender than regular kale (curly kale). The hearty texture of Tuscan kale makes it perfect for salads, especially if you are making it ahead of time.
Ingredient Notes
- Tuscan Kale (Cavolo Nero) High in fiber, vitamin K, A. and C. Tuscan kale also contains vitamin B6, calcium, potassium, copper, and manganese.
- Lemon Juice Use freshly squeezed lemon juice. It adds flavor, softens the kale, and provides vitamin C. For even more lemon flavor, feel free to add fresh lemon zest to the dressing ingredients.
- Hemp Hearts Hemp hearts provides omega-3 fatty acids and protein. They also contain fiber, potassium, iron, and more. Depending on your grocery store, hemp hearts can be found in the baking aisle or, if they have it, a 'natural' foods aisle.
- Garlic Use fresh garlic cloves. Mince garlic using a garlic press. Or, by hand using a sharp paring knife.
- Olive Oil I use extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil contains polyphenols, with the most found in extra virgin olive oil. Additionally, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and contains antioxidants that contribute to its anti-inflammatory properties. It also has an excellent flavor that compliments this kale salad so well.
- Parmesan Cheese I have made this lacinato kale salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese, pre-shredded Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese (from Costco), and with shavings of parmesan cheese. It tasted great each time! Parmesan cheese is added for a richer flavor.
How to Make This Kale (Tuscan) Salad
Here's a quick overview of the steps to make this kale salad. For the full list of ingredients and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card.
- Remove the thick middle rib from the center of washed kale, then use a cutting board and sharp knife or kitchen scissors to cut the kale into thin slices. This step is key to making this salad easier for kids to eat!
- Add kale slices to a large bowl. Set aside.
- Use a small bowl to make the dressing: whisk the fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper together.
- Pour dressing over kale. Toss to coat the kale. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese and hemp hearts on top of the salad. Toss again. Enjoy!
Dietitian Tip
In my observation, cutting some foods, like salad greens or chicken, into thin strips or small, bite sized pieces make it easier to chew which is appealing to kids and adults, alike.
The next time you serve a salad that nobody seems to eat, take a look at it and note the size of the salad greens and salad toppings (example, pieces of kale, broccoli, cucumber, or carrot).
Chances are more salad may have been eaten if the larger pieces had been cut, sliced, or shredded first. I know it's more work, but if spending a few extra minutes to cut food into small pieces means my kids will actually eat something, I'm all about it!
Helpful Tips
- Kitchen scissors are, hands down, my most used kitchen tool! They work perfectly for cutting kale into pieces!
- The quickest way I have found to cut kale is to layer a few pieces of kale at a time, roll the kale up (as you would roll up a yoga mat), and carefully use kitchen scissors to cut the kale into pieces.
- One bunch of Tuscan kale should yield 4-5 cups of cut kale.
- Fresh squeezed lemon and freshly minced garlic are essential in making this dressing - so good!
- Although this salad can be served right away, I do suggest letting it sit (covered) in the refrigerator for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
- I suggest making this recipe without spice the first time you make it. If you like spice, feel free to add red pepper flakes the next time you make it.
- Add just a pinch of salt and black pepper when you make the dressing. After tossing everything together, taste the salad and add more salt or black pepper as you see fit.
- Discard discolored or wilted kale leaves. As you can see in the picture of ingredients above, there is a kale leaf in the back of the bunch that is not as fresh as the smaller leaves. It was the best bunch I found, so I discarded the bad leaves and kept the good ones 🙂
Questions You May Have
Another thing that makes this the best kale salad is that it can be served with pretty much anything! Serve it along side of a sandwich, a turkey burger, grilled cheese... you name it!
Tuscan salad can also easily be turned into a main meal by topping it with protein. In fact, salmon, roasted chicken, and hard boiled eggs taste terrific with this salad.
Now, if your kids are pretty adventurous with food and you are really looking for nutrient density, you can try topping the salad with roasted red beets (chilled). Delicious!
Yes! This salad can easily be made in advance and stores well refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days.
It does taste the best when eaten the same day it's made, but it tastes great the next day, too.
Hemp hearts, shelled hemp seeds, and hulled hemp seeds are one and the same. When the outer shell of the hemp seed has been removed, you are left with the softer, chewier inner seeds.
Many Tuscan kale salad recipes call for breadcrumbs. In my experience, the breadcrumbs get soggy and make the salad less desirable to eat the next day. So, I use hemp hearts instead!
More Easy Side Dishes
Did you try this easy Kale (Tuscan) Salad and love it as much as I do? Please leave a comment and ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating below. A 5-star rating is the best compliment!
Remember to follow me on Pinterest for more easy recipes and meal inspiration!
📖 Recipe
Kale (Tuscan) Salad
Equipment
- 1 Kitchen shears also known as kitchen scissors
Ingredients
Instructions
- Remove the thick middle rib from the center of washed leaves of Tuscan kale.
- Cut kale into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk lemon juice, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper together to make the dressing.
- Pour dressing over the kale and toss well.
- Sprinkle the cheese and hemp hearts on the top of the salad and toss one last time.
- Let sit for 10-15 minutes before serving (optional).
Notes
- Removing the thick middle rib from each kale leaf, using fresh garlic and fresh squeezed lemon juice are the keys to making this salad taste amazing!
- Kitchen scissors work perfectly for slicing kale into thin strips.
- You can use either freshly grated or pre-grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.
- This salad can be made ahead of time. It can also be refrigerated in an airtight container to be consumed within three days.
- If you can't find Tuscan kale, you can substitute curly kale or even spinach!
Kara says
This salad is amazing-easy to prep, flavorful, and leftovers hold up well. My entire family enjoys this salad-it’s my 15 yr old son’s favorite!
Kara says
Meant to give 5 stars!
Kristi says
Thank you!
Kristi says
So great! It's my son's favorite, too!
Kristi B says
Loved this recipe! Made it in a Sunday night and ate it for the next 3 days for lunch as it held up so nicely!
Kristi says
So great! Such a time-saver!
Lori Ahdieh says
For added texture I used Shaved Parmesan instead, same flavor, just love the big pieces in my salad. Thanks Kristi!
Kristi says
You're welcome! Yes, definitely use whatever size parmesan pieces you prefer!
Erica Lewis says
This recipe has helped my family continue to eat salad during the winter. I also make it with spinach when I can't find good Kale in our local stores!
Kristi says
So great! I'm glad your family has been enjoying it! I agree-spinach is a fantastic substitute for kale!