Kale & Apple Salad with Maple Bacon Pecan Crumble

SERVES: 3 AS A MAIN, 5 AS A SIDE | PREP: 15 MINUTES | COOK: 30 MINUTES

The crumble steals the show in this salad! You can serve whatever leafy greens and vegetables you want with it, and it’s still going to be the best salad you have all week. I’ve headed in an autumnal direction here—chewy kale leaves with apple batons and cranberries. I also crumble over some soft goat cheese, which works beautifully with the sweet and sour elements of the salad. All together it’s a great combination of textures, colors, and flavors. It’s substantial enough as a standalone meal or as a statement side dish (official term!). The cranberry-plumping step (another official term) is optional. But once you’ve plumped, you’ll never go back!

INGREDIENTS 

MAPLE BACON PECAN CRUMBLE

Delicious Tonight: Foolproof Recipes for 150+ Easy Dinners Nagi Maehashi

• 3 oz bacon

• 1/2 cup pecans,1 half roughly chopped, half finely chopped

• 2 tbsp maple syrup

SALAD

• 1/2 cup dried cranberries

• 1 cup boiling water

• 4 tightly packed cups (6 oz)

• kale leaves, torn into 1 1/4 inch pieces

• 1 granny smith apple

• 1 tsp lemon juice

• 1/3 cup (2 1/2 oz) crumbled goat cheese or Danish feta

DRESSING

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 6 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

• 2 tsp dijon mustard

• 1 1/2 tsp granulated sugar

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1/4 tsp black pepper

DIRECTIONS

Crisp bacon—Put the bacon in a cold nonstick skillet on the stovetop, then turn the heat to medium–high. Cook the bacon until golden, about 2 minutes on each side. Drain on a paper towel–lined sheet pan. Cool for 5 minutes until crisp, then finely chop.

Crumble—Pour off and discard the bacon fat in the pan, but don’t wipe the pan clean. Put it on the stove over medium heat and add the pecans and maple syrup. Stir, then once the maple syrup starts simmering, reduce the heat to low and stir constantly for 2 minutes. Return the bacon to the pan and stir constantly for another 2 minutes. Don’t walk away— it will burn if you stop stirring! Transfer the bacon to a plate and spread it out. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool and become crisp. 

Plump cranberries—Put the cranberries in a bowl and cover with the boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes to plump up, then drain well. Set aside to cool and dry for about 10 minutes. 

Dressing—Add all the dressing ingredients to a jar and shake to combine.

Soften kale—Put the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of dressing, then scrunch the kale with your hands for 15 seconds, ensuring every piece of kale gets coated with a little dressing. Set aside for 20 minutes to soften and flavor the kale. 

Apple—Just before serving, slice the apple into . inch batons. Toss in a bowl with the lemon juice.2

Assemble—Add the apple to the bowl with the kale. Drizzle with most of the remaining dressing and toss. Place half the kale and apple in a serving bowl. Sprinkle with half of the crumble, cranberries, and goat cheese. Top with the remaining kale, apple, crumble, cranberries, and goat cheese. Drizzle with the remaining dressing and serve immediately!

NOTES 

1- Almonds and walnuts also work great here.

2- Prevents the apple from going brown.

3- Make ahead: The dressing, plumped cranberries, and crumble will keep for 5 days in the fridge. If the crumble gets sticky, toast it in the oven for 5 minutes at 350ºF, then cool and allow to crisp. Bring everything to room temperature before serving.

LEFTOVERS The dressed salad is still good the next day, as kale is so much more robust than other leafy greens! Store it in the fridge. Not suitable for freezing.

Excerpted from Delicious Tonight © 2024 by Nagi Maehashi, reprinted by permission of Countryman Press, an imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. All rights reserved.

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