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My potluck salad
I am obsessed with brassicas in the fall. Kale, Brussels sprouts, broccoli — these are the vegetables that actually get better when the weather turns cold and their flavors sweeten up after a frost. The problem is that most raw brassica salads are either too tough or too boring, and you end up chewing through a bowl of punishment. This salad fixes all of that. The trick is treating each brassica differently — the kale gets massaged, the Brussels sprouts get shaved paper-thin, and the broccoli gets chopped into tiny florets that catch the dressing in all their little crevices. Then you toss the whole thing with toasted almonds, dried cranberries, shaved parmesan, and a zippy lemon-mustard dressing that does something almost magical to the raw greens.
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Massage the kale
I know it sounds a little ridiculous to massage a vegetable, but if you skip this step you’ll end up with tough, bitter kale that nobody wants to eat. What you are doing is breaking down the cellulose in the leaves so they become silky and tender instead of chewy and fibrous. I like to drizzle a little olive oil and a pinch of salt over the chopped kale and then squeeze and scrunch it with my hands for about two minutes until the leaves turn a deeper green and shrink down by almost half. You will feel the texture change under your fingers — they go from stiff and papery to soft and almost velvety. That is when you know they’re ready. The Brussels sprouts don’t need this treatment because slicing them thin enough does the work for you, and the broccoli florets are naturally tender enough to eat raw when they’re small.
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The dressing
This dressing is sharp and bright and punchy in all the right ways. The lemon juice and Dijon mustard give it a tangy bite that cuts right through the earthiness of the brassicas, while the minced garlic and shallot add a savory depth that makes the whole thing taste more complex than a simple vinaigrette. I add just a touch of honey to round out the acidity without making it sweet. The real trick is tossing the salad with the dressing about ten to fifteen minutes before you plan to serve it. The acid in the lemon juice actually continues to break down and tenderize the raw vegetables while the flavors meld together. By the time you eat it, the kale is silky, the Brussels sprouts are mellow, and every piece of broccoli is coated in this bright, mustardy dressing that makes you want to eat your vegetables like they’re candy.
How To Make This Recipe
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Crunchy Brassica Salad with Kale, Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, and Zippy Lemon-Mustard Dressing
A hearty raw salad packed with three kinds of brassicas — massaged kale, shaved Brussels sprouts, and tender broccoli florets — tossed with toasted almonds, dried cranberries, shaved parmesan, and a bright lemon-mustard dressing that tenderizes the greens as it sits. This is the salad that converts people who think they do not like raw vegetables.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 4 cups kale (a mix of curly and lacinato), stems removed and chopped
- 2 cups Brussels sprouts, thinly sliced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 cup dried cranberries
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
For the Lemon-Mustard Dressing
- 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1/2 shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Make the Dressing
- In a mason jar or small bowl, combine the extra-virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, minced shallot, honey, and a generous pinch each of salt and black pepper. Put the lid on the jar and shake vigorously for about 15 seconds until the dressing looks creamy and emulsified — it should turn from separated and oily to thick and slightly cloudy. If using a bowl, whisk briskly until combined. Taste it — you want a sharp, tangy bite balanced by a gentle sweetness. Adjust salt, lemon, or honey as needed. Set aside while you prep the salad.
Prepare the Salad
- Place the chopped kale in a large salad bowl. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of salt over the leaves. Use your hands to massage the kale for about 2 minutes, squeezing and scrunching the leaves until they turn a deeper, more vibrant green and feel silky and tender instead of stiff and papery. You will feel the texture change under your fingers and the volume will shrink by almost half — that is how you know it is ready.
- Add the thinly sliced Brussels sprouts, chopped broccoli florets, toasted slivered almonds, dried cranberries, thinly sliced red onion, and freshly grated Parmesan to the bowl with the massaged kale. Toss everything together gently so the ingredients are evenly distributed — the bowl should look colorful and abundant with flecks of green, white, and deep red throughout.
Dress and Serve
- Give the dressing another good shake, then drizzle about half of it over the salad and toss to coat evenly. Add more dressing to taste — you want every leaf and floret glistening with a thin, bright coating. For the best results, let the dressed salad sit for 10 to 15 minutes before serving. The acid in the lemon juice will continue to tenderize the raw brassicas and the flavors will meld together beautifully. The kale should taste mellow and silky, the Brussels sprouts should have lost their sharp bite, and every piece of broccoli should be coated in tangy, mustardy dressing. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.
Notes
- Make ahead: The dressing keeps in a sealed jar in the fridge for up to 5 days. The salad can be prepped (kale massaged, vegetables chopped) and stored separately in the fridge for up to 2 days. Dress just before serving for the crunchiest texture, or 10 to 15 minutes ahead for a more tender, melded result.
- Nut-free swap: Replace the slivered almonds with toasted pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds for the same satisfying crunch without tree nuts.
- Extra protein: This salad is excellent with grilled chicken, shaved steak, crispy chickpeas, or a soft-boiled egg on top to turn it into a full meal.
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