By Alicia Noack
Bread Salad with Kale, Beets and Blue Cheese
For this hearty salad, we took a cue from panzanella, an Italian tomato and bread salad. But we swapped out tomatoes for kale and paired it with sweet, earthy beets and bold blue cheese. It’s delicious on its own as a light main course, but it’s also excellent as a side dish to roasted chicken or pork. We liked the convenience of vacuum-packed cooked baby beets sold in the produce section of the supermarket, but if you prefer, roast and peel your own. Don’t worry if the kale darkens and reduces in volume as you rub it with salt. The salt tenderizes the leaves.
Updated at: Sat, 28 Oct 2023 09:38:24 GMT
Nutrition balance score
Unbalanced
Glycemic Index
66
Moderate
Glycemic Load
19
Moderate
Nutrition per serving
Calories474.5 kcal (24%)
Total Fat32.7 g (47%)
Carbs28.3 g (11%)
Sugars7.9 g (9%)
Protein16.6 g (33%)
Sodium1113.4 mg (56%)
Fiber2.7 g (10%)
% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet
Ingredients
4 servings
1shallot
medium, minced
2 tablespoonssherry vinegar
4slices bacon
chopped
4 tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oil
divided
5 ouncesrustic bread
such as ciabatta, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 bunchlacinato kale
stemmed and thinly sliced crosswise
kosher salt
ground black pepper
8 ouncebaby beets
cooked, each beet cut into 6 or 8 wedges
1 tablespoonhoney
4 ouncesblue cheese
coarsely crumbled
Instructions
Step 1
In a small bowl, stir together the shallots and vinegar. Set aside. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, cook the bacon until browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, then discard the fat in the skillet.
Step 2
In the same skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the bread and cook, tossing frequently and lowering the heat slightly if the oil smokes, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to another plate and let cool until barely warm.
Step 3
In a large bowl, toss the kale with ¼ teaspoon salt then massage with your hands until the leaves soften and darken, 10 to 20 seconds. Add the bread and beets. To the shallot mixture, whisk in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper and the honey. Add to the kale mixture and toss. Add the cheese and bacon, then toss gently. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
