Chef John's Raw Kale Salad

If you slice kale thin and toss it with other tasty treats like apple, persimmon, orange, and nuts, the kale mellows out and serves as a perfect foil for other vegetation.

INGRIDIENT

¼ cup rice vinegar

1 tablespoon orange juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

1 teaspoon ground cumin

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

⅓ cup olive oil

salt and ground black pepper to taste

1 bunch kale

1 persimmon, sliced

1 apple, cut into matchsticks

2 orange, peeled and cut into segments (see footnote)

¼ cup chopped pistachio nuts

DIRECTION

Step: 1

Whisk vinegar, orange juice, Dijon mustard, orange zest, cumin, and red pepper flakes together in a bowl. Slowly pour olive oil into the orange juice mixture, whisking until thick and thoroughly combined. Season dressing with salt and black pepper.

Step: 2

Remove stems from each leaf of kale. Stack 3 to 4 leaves of kale and roll together. Finely slice kale leaves crosswise to create thin ribbons.

Step: 3

Combine sliced kale, persimmon, apple, orange, and pistachio nuts in a bowl. Add dressing and toss until well coated.