This massaged kale salad is simple to prepare and has a dressing that is reminiscent of Caesar, but punched up with basil and lemon. It's the famous Barbuto kale salad!
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This isn't the kale salad that started it all, but it is the one that started it all for me. It began with a trip to New York City and a birthday dinner at Barbuto, Chef Jonathan Waxman's famous West Village restaurant. Who knew that something so simple could be so mind-blowingly tasty?
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Dining at Barbuto
Barbuto was at the top of my wish list for my birthday dinner. Waxman specializes in Italian/California cuisine using wood-fired ovens and seasonal ingredients to make simple yet really flavorful dishes. It's just how I like to cook (sans the wood-fired oven).
We had an incredible meal with a birds-eye view of the open kitchen, and shared loads of wonderful things from the menu between the four of us including this signature kale salad, as well as some brussels sprouts that will change your life, roasted meats, fresh seafood, and pasta, pasta, pasta! We even caught a glimpse of the chef himself, (wheeeee!) having a late dinner with his family.
So how excited am I that there is now a Barbuto Cookbook? VERY! As I said before, Waxman is my touchstone in the kitchen, and this is further demonstrated by the fact that throughout the book, he uses exclamation points as freely as I do. Just one more reason to love it, and him! (See?)
I made a few small adaptations to the original recipe, including leaving out the breadcrumbs to make it gluten-free.
Ingredients
You only need a few simple things to make this kale salad, but some of them are unique and unexpected.
- Kale - obviously. But which kind? Curly or Tuscan? Either will work. I used curly kale because it is more affordable. Whichever you prefer will be fine.
- Anchovies - yes, there are anchovies in the dressing! But they don't make the dressing taste like anchovies, they add an underlying umami to the salad. You only need two, but you can store the remaining anchovies in the fridge for a looooooong time. I just put the open can inside a small airtight container and keep it in the back of the refrigerator until I need some for another recipe.
- Egg yolk - another nod to the classic Caesar dressing here. Don't be afraid of the raw yolk, it helps all the ingredients emulsify and gives the dressing a rich texture.
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - in the restaurant and the cookbook, the recipe calls for Pecorino Romano, which is a hard, sheep's milk cheese that has a sharp flavor. I swapped in parmigiano because it is easier to find. You can use whichever cheese you prefer/can find easily. But please use the real thing, preferably grated yourself on a box grater. Pre-grated cheese seems to dry out faster, so if you grate it yourself, the flavor and texture will be so much better!
Step by step instructions
Remove the thick stem at the bottom of the kale (but not the center rib), roll up the leaves, and use a good chef's knife to slice it very thinly. Put it into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
Chop the basil and smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Place them on a wooden cutting board with the anchovies.
You MUST use a wooden cutting board for this part of the process. We're going to make a paste with the ingredients, and it just won't happen on a plastic board.
Chop the garlic and anchovies along with the basil finely. Then turn the knife blade at an angle, steadying the tip of the blade with your other hand, and drag/scrape the edge of the blade through the mixture repeatedly. Chop, chop, chop. Drag, drag. The oils from the anchovy and the garlic will start to release, creating a paste.
Add the paste to a small mixing bowl with the mustard, lemon juice, egg yolk and salt and whisk together.
Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsified dressing.
Pour half of the dressing over the bowl of kale and massage it together until all the leaves are well-coated.
Grate the cheese on a box grater, then sprinkle ¾ of it into the salad and toss together. Let the salad sit for a bit - up to one hour - to allow the flavors to come together. Top with the remaining cheese and serve.
How to massage kale
What's the deal with massaging kale? Well, it's very hardy, and on its own, it can be very unpleasant to chew on. But when you massage the dressing into the kale it creates a chemical reaction. The acid and salt from the dressing react with enzymes in the kale leaves which allows them to soften into a lovely texture.
Simply use your hands—a cook's best tools—and get in there and rub the dressing into all of the leaves with your fingertips until they are well-coated. Season with another pinch of salt and black pepper.
FAQ
How do you prep kale for salads?
Wash the kale thoroughly and let it dry completely. Then remove the bottom tough stem, fold or roll the leaves, and slice very thinly. The thin slices will allow the kale to break down more easily once the dressing is added.
Tips
- Grate the cheese yourself! The texture and flavor will be so much better. Pre-grated dries out.
- You might need a bit more than half the dressing, depending on what kind of kale you are using. Start there and add a little more if you think you need it.
- The original recipe calls for one tablespoon of toasted breadcrumbs. I omitted this so it would be gluten-free, but feel free to add them back in just before serving for a little crunch.
- You'll have some dressing left over. Store in an airtight container the fridge and use within 2-3 days.
Related recipes
- For a fall twist, try this Kale Salad with Apples, Cranberries, and Pecans.
- Kale is good raw, but I also love to cook it up. My Dijon Chicken Thighs with Apples and Kale are a main dish and a side dish all rolled together. And it cooks in one pan!
- If you've got kale left over from this recipe, toss it in some soup! Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is one of my faves.
- This would be a perfect side dish if you're making my Zucchini Parmesan or Roast Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon.
Recipe
Massaged Kale Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing
Ingredients
- 8 ounces kale curly or tuscan
- 8 fresh basil leaves
- 2 salt-cured anchovies
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 egg yolk
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup freshly grated parmigiano reggiano cheese or pecorino romano
Instructions
- Remove the thick stem at the bottom of the kale (but not the center rib), roll up the leaves, and use a good chef's knife to slice it very thinly. Put it into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Chop the basil and smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Place them on a wooden cutting board with the anchovies.
- (You MUST use a wooden cutting board for this part of the process. We're going to make a paste with the ingredients, and it just won't happen on a plastic board.)Chop the garlic and anchovies along with the basil finely. Then turn the knife blade at an angle, steadying the tip of the blade with your other hand, and drag/scrape the edge of the blade through the mixture repeatedly. Chop, chop, chop. Drag, drag. The oils from the anchovy and the garlic will start to release, creating a paste.
- Add the paste to a small mixing bowl with the mustard, lemon juice, egg yolk and salt and whisk together. Then slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsified dressing.
- Pour half of the dressing over the bowl of kale and massage it together with your hands until all the leaves are well-coated.
- Grate the cheese on a box grater, then sprinkle ¾ of it into the salad and toss together. Let the salad sit for a bit - up to one hour - to allow the flavors to come together. Top with the remaining cheese and serve.
Notes
- Adapted from The Barbuto Cookbook
- You can use curly kale or Tuscan kale, whichever you prefer.
- Grate the cheese yourself! The texture and flavor will be so much better. Pre-grated cheese dries out too easily.
- You might need a bit more than half the dressing, depending on what kind of kale you are using. Start there and add a little more if you think you need it.
- The original recipe calls for one tablespoon of toasted breadcrumbs. I omitted this so it would be gluten-free, but feel free to add them back in just before serving for a little crunch.
- You'll have some dressing left over. Store in an airtight container the fridge and use within 2-3 days.
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