• Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • Recipe Index
  • About
    • About Me
    • Work with Me
    • Portfolio
    • FAQ
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Snixy Kitchen logo

menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About
  • Portfolio
  • Contact
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Meal Type / Savory / Main Courses / Lemony kale, pear, and pepitas salad

    Lemony kale, pear, and pepitas salad

    February 25, 2012 by Sarah Menanix · Modified: Jul 1, 2012

    • Share
    • Tweet

    At first glance, it appears that I cook with kale all the time. This assumption isn't all that accurate since I've only cooked with it a total of three times - they just all happen to be within the past month. What is true is that I've been trying to become more aware of what's in season, and I've consequently become much more adventurous in my eating habits. Kale is an addition from this endeavor that will take up permanent residence in my rotation of recipes.

    The kale featured in this salad came from our excursion at my cousin's farm - freshly picked less than 24 hours prior to being served. Scott recommended serving it with bacon, and I have no doubt that it would have been incredible, but I didn't plan my lunch ahead of time and all the stores were closed for President's Day. At around midnight last Sunday, I realized that I had invited my friend Sarah over for lunch the next afternoon and it was too late to go shopping. Not my namesake Sarah - you'll discover I have no less than a billion Sarahs in my life. With the challenge of using only ingredients I had on hand, this salad was born. Wow. It is super tasty - well done, kale, well done. The pear, pepitas, and parmesan paired well with the lemony greens to create a really light, healthy, and tasty salad.

    Arugula used to be my go-to leafy green, but I think kale is sharing its spot on the pedestal. Kale is bursting with flavor where other greens are often lacking; a sampling of a fava leaf on the farm paled in comparison. As a result, you don't really need much dressing to make a kale salad delicious; I just rubbed some fresh lemon juice and olive oil on the leaves. What's more, kale is also chock full of beta-carotene and many other super beneficial nutrients.

    I realize I'm a bit late in posting this, but my photo editor boyfriend was off in Taiwan being all important for about 17 hours each day. Add the 16 hour time difference to his busy schedule and coordination was next to impossible. Less than two hours after touching down at SFO, we packed up the car and headed up for Tahoe to test our ski legs out on some rock hard ice. So I'm sorry for the delay - I hope you're not starving.

    Lemony kale, pear, and pepitas salad
    Serves 2-4

    • 1 bunch of kale, ribs removed and leaves ripped into bite-sized pieces
    • 1 Bosc pear, quartered, cored, and thinly sliced
    • Freshly shaved parmesan, to taste
    • ⅛ cup pepitas, lightly toasted
    • 1 lemon
    • 1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon olive oil, to taste
    • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
    1. Sprinkle olive oil and lemon juice over kale. Use hands to massage oil and juice into leaves until every leaf looks moist. Add salt and pepper to taste.
    2. Top with pepitas, parmesan, and pear. Serve. The salad can be made ahead of time and stored because kale is just that awesome.

    « Seared swiss chard and leeks topped with crispy bacon
    Creamy tomato basil soup »
    instagramIf you make this recipe, tag your photo #SnixyKitchen on Instagram!
    • Share
    • Tweet
    Snixy Kitchen

    SUBSCRIBE NOW

    get free recipes straight to your inbox:

    Reader Interactions

    You may also enjoy:

    Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
    Gluten-Free Lemon Drizzle Cake
    Soft and Chewy Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
    Chewy Gluten-Free Lemon Cookies
    Strawberry Walnut Caprese Salad
    Strawberry Walnut Caprese Salad
    Arugula and Apple Salad
    Arugula Apple Salad with Roasted Shallot Vinaigrette

    12 Comments

    1. veronica -

      February 25, 2012 at 11:29 pm

      What a lovely salad.

      Reply
    2. myfudo -

      February 26, 2012 at 7:49 pm

      I love the addition of pepitas...Adds crunch and flavor. Lovely pictures in this post too...

      Reply
      • Sarah Menanix -

        February 26, 2012 at 7:52 pm

        Thank you! Pepitas are a great way to replace croutons.

        Reply
    3. Lovely Pantry -

      February 26, 2012 at 8:55 pm

      This is a beautiful salad. I use Kale both fresh, and frozen. You're photographs are lovely :-)

      Reply
      • Sarah Menanix -

        February 26, 2012 at 9:26 pm

        Thank you!

        Reply
    4. Cooking on a Dime -

      February 26, 2012 at 9:21 pm

      I am working to add a lot more kale to my diet. This salad looks and sounds amazing!

      Reply
      • Sarah Menanix -

        February 26, 2012 at 9:27 pm

        Thanks! Who knew kale was so delicious?!

        Reply
    5. Find Healthy Snacks (@Snack_Girl_) -

      March 01, 2012 at 9:45 am

      This looks GREAT. I am finding that if I massage the kale - it turns out less chewy and brings out the flavor:
      http://www.snack-girl.com/snack/massage-kale-salad/

      Reply
      • Sarah Menanix -

        March 01, 2012 at 9:51 am

        Thanks! I love that it doesn't lose any of its body when you massage it (like what I imagine would happen if you tried to massage spinach).

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Primary Sidebar

    Sarah Menanix Picture

    I’m Sarah (aka Snix)! Welcome to Snixy Kitchen - where I create gluten-free recipes with fresh, local ingredients to tell stories about my life.

    More about me ➤

    Trending Recipes

    • Gluten-Free Dumpling Wrappers
    • Parmesan Roasted Cauliflower and Chicken Sheet Pan Dinner
    • Gluten-Free Olive Oil Matcha Cake
    • Matcha Mochi Cake
    The Ultimate Guide to Matcha

    Gluten-Free Staples

    • Gluten-Free Skillet Cookie: Pizookie
    • Gluten-Free Ice Cream Sandwiches
    • Grilled Chimichurri Shrimp
    • Gluten-Free Almond Cake
    KitchenAid Stand Mixer Amazon Affiliate Link

    Footer

    ⬆ back to top

    • Subscribe
    • About
    • Contact
    • Work with me
    • FAQ
    • Recipes

    Privacy Policy | Disclosure

    All content & images © 2022 Snixy Kitchen