Kale Caprese Salad

Thinly sliced kale along with traditional Caprese salad ingredients–basil, tomatoes and mozzarella–combine for a healthy and hearty Kale Caprese Salad. Enjoy along with grilled meats and other summer food.

When summer rolls in, a Caprese salad on a restaurant menu quickly catches my attention. Fresh local tomatoes and basil sliced and served with fresh mozzarella cheese and extra virgin olive oil is a wonderful celebration of the seasonal produce.

I had a bit of extra kale on hand from making a batch of kale pesto the other day. Fresh mozzarella was on sale, and I was quickly on my way to making this Kale Caprese Salad.

Making Kale Caprese Salad

There are two keys to featuring raw kale in a salad. First, chop the kale leaves nice and thinly.

Second, let kale sit for about 15 minutes with some vinegar and/or other dressing. Both of these steps let the kale soften, making it easier to eat while imparting some additional flavor.

We start making our Kale Caprese Salad with this thin slicing of the leaves and a marinade time with balsamic vinegar and salt. After that 15 minute period, simply toss in the other ingredients and you have your Kale Caprese Salad!

Want to try another great salad with kale? Our Kale and Apple Salad with Cranberries is delicious! For another recipe featuring the tomato and mozzarella combo, try our Tomato Caprese Salad with Pesto.  

Wine Pairings

Our Kale Caprese Salad is a great side dish to go with grilled meats and other summer fare. Most recently, we enjoyed this salad along with our Grilled Steak with Garlic Butter. When serving the Kale Caprese Salad with steak, you are going to want to pair more to the meat. So we opened an Australian Shiraz blend that evening.

But if you want a wine pairing that focuses more on the Kale Caprese Salad, you will want to choose a lighter style wine. A rosé could be the perfect choice. Pick something with some acidity to work with the tomatoes and vinegar. The Montenidoli Rosato made from Canaiuolo grapes in Tuscany is one suggestion that comes to mind.

I’m also thinking a Cerasualo, a rosé of Montepulciano we enjoyed a lot of Abruzzo, would be a good choice here. In fact, I will need to test that out soon! Meanwhile, please let me know what you enjoy with the Kale Caprese Salad.

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Kale Caprese Salad

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Thinly sliced kale along with traditional Caprese salad ingredients–basil, tomatoes and mozzarella–combine for a healthy and hearty salad.

• Author: Cooking Chat
• Prep Time: 15 mins
• Total Time: 15 minutes
• Yield: 3 servings 1x
• Category: Salad
• Method: No cook
• Cuisine: Italian
• Diet: Vegetarian

Ingredients

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• 2 cups kale, thinly sliced
• 1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
• ¼ tsp salt
• 8 to 10 grape tomatoes, cut into halves and quarters
• 1 heaping tablespoon fresh basil, thinly sliced
• 2 ozs fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into half inch cubes
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• pepper to taste

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Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, combine the kale, balsamic vinegar and salt. Let the kale sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.
2. After 15 minutes, toss the kale with the tomatoes, basil, mozzarella and olive oil. Add a bit of pepper to taste. Let the salad sit with all the ingredients for another 5 to 10 minutes prior to serving. Serve the Kale Caprese Salad with grilled meat and other summer fare.

Notes

• If you have a variety of sized grape tomatoes, cut the larger ones into quarters and the smaller ones in half.
• I like to use the smaller balls of fresh mozzarella cheese. I use two of them for this recipe, approximately 1 ounce each.
• Having the kale rest with the vinegar and salt softens the raw kale.

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