Recipe: Succulent Summer Kale Salad

The following recipe was submitted by Sofi Pechner, a Bay Area native and trained Natural Chef. Sofi is passionate about creating nutritious and delicious foods and capturing them in a creative way with her camera, as we well as discovering food from cultures around the globe.

Ingredients:

1 bunch Kale, ribs removed, cut in a chiffonade
2 cobs corn, kernels cut off
2 peaches or nectarines, diced
1/2 cup almonds, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
Ground pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

  1. Place the cut kale in a bowl and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Gently massage the kale with your hands until it becomes fragrant and turns darker in color, about 5 minutes. 
  2. Add the corn, peaches or nectarines, and almonds to the same bowl.
  3. In a separate, small bowl, whisk the olive oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, salt, and ground pepper. Once emulsified, pour dressing over the kale mixture. Toss to evenly coat.
  4. Allow salad to marinate for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  5. Have fun with this dish — change which nut you use, throw in some cheese, or even use a different variety of stone fruit. You can also toss in some chicken or another protein to make this dish a complete meal. It serves 3 as a main course, but can work for 4-5 people as a side salad.
Sarah Waxman