15 Days to Thanksgiving!
Thanksgiving is coming up, and I am ready! My school operates on a trimester, so my last day of class for the Fall term is the 21st. I have about a week off, and I am counting down the days! I’m in the process of finalizing my Thanksgiving menu, and if you’re still planning on what to make, definitely add this Citrus Beet & Kale Salad to your menu!
The Planning Process
Thanksgiving usually takes place at my house, and, for the most part, I make everything. I see family gatherings as a fun challenge to test my cooking, time management, and organization skills, so I mentally treat my family as if they were clients. Being the only person cooking for a crowd of 20+ people, it can be challenging and may sound like a nightmare to some of you. But for me, it’s a fun stress. I love everything from planning the menu, creating the grocery list, scheduling my prep, and serving everyone.
It’s all worth it in the end when you see everyone enjoying your food, and there’s this sense of satisfaction that you actually pulled it off. Don’t get me wrong though — I’ve certainly had my fair share of disasters, but you live and you learn.
At some point, I would definitely like to make a post about how I plan everything when my family hosts a gathering. I think it could be really interesting, and, hopefully, I can give you some tips and tricks to make the process easier.
What The Kale?!
So, without further ado, let’s get into this Citrus Beet & Kale Salad.
Kale. It’s one of the top healthiest foods you can eat. But let’s be real. It doesn’t taste that great. You feel like you’re chewing on it for years, and even then, it seems like it hasn’t broken down at all. The bristly leaves scratch your mouth, and it’s not a fun time.
Rest assured, you don’t have to live this way anymore! The secret to actually making kale pleasant in a salad is to massage it. Yep, you heard me. Massage. Your. Kale. People.
Typically, when massaging kale, you want to use some oil, salt, and/or lemon juice. Then you just go in with your hands and start massaging all of that into the kale using a scrunching motion. After seeing that the kale has slightly wilted, let it rest for 15-30 minutes. This process helps to break down the kale so that it isn’t as tough and bristly. I wasn’t the biggest fan of kale before I learned about this trick, but now we’re BFFS.
Pickle Your Red Onions!
Now, let’s get into the rest of the ingredients.
Beets are at their all time high now, so I had to add them into this Citrus Beet & Kale Salad. They have a slight sweetness and give off a subtle char from being roasted. We also have some spiced walnuts mixed into this salad, which helps to balance the sweetness from the other ingredients because it has some paprika and chili powder mixed into it. The segmented oranges give a burst of juice with every bite and brings a vibrancy of color to the dish. And last but not least, one of my favorite ingredients of all time: pickled red onions.
I cannot even begin to explain how much I love pickled red onions. First of all, let’s talk about their color. They have this vibrant pink magenta color that is so beautiful and can make any dish pop. I add it to 95% of the salads I make not only because of how they taste, but also because of their color. Speaking of how they taste, they have a crisp texture that bursts with a sweet acidity, which perfectly compliments all of the other components. Whenever I make pickled red onions, I use this recipe from Rachel Cooks and it never fails.
Health is Wealth
Again, if you’re still deciding on what to make for Thanksgiving, add this salad to your list! Personally, I always like to have a salad on my table because you need a little bit of health among all the butter and heavy cream going on in all of the other dishes.
I know, I know. It’s the holidays and you don’t want to be that person who brings over a salad. I mean, c’mon it’s the season of indulging! But, I promise you, this salad will be the talk of the town. Theres nothing more exciting than a salad that actually tastes good. And once everyone sees all of the colors going on in this Citrus Beet and Kale Salad, they will be amazed. Listen, they don’t even have to eat the salad to be impressed. The variance and vibrancy of color going on is already impressive. So let me know what you have planned for Thanksgiving and if you added this salad to your menu! Have a great day, and I’ll talk to you in my next post!
Citrus Beet & Kale Salad
Ingredients
For the Spiced Walnuts
- 1 1/4 cup Walnuts (shelled)
- 1/4 tsp Paprika
- 1/4 tsp Chili Powder
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1 tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
For the Beets
- 3 Medium Beets (diced into 1/2 inch cubes)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp Ground Black Pepper
For the Citrus Sherry Vinaigrette
- Zest of 1 Orange
- 2 tbsp Fresh Orange Juice
- 1/2 tbsp Whole Grain Mustard
- 2 tbsp Red Onion (minced)
- 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1/4 cup Sherry Vinegar
- 1 1/2 tbsp Maple Syrup or Honey
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
Salad
- 10 cups (about 1 1/2 bunches) Curly Kale (destemmed and chopped)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Kosher Salt
- 2-3 large Oranges (Segmented)
- 2.5 oz Goat Cheese (crumbled)
- 1 cup Pickled Red Onion (link to recipe listed in the notes)
Instructions
For the Spiced Walnuts and Beets
- Preheat your oven to 400˚F.
- Line a sheet tray with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Mix together all of the ingredients for the spiced walnuts on the sheet tray and bake it for 3-5 minutes until the walnuts have toasted and the maple syrup has caramelized. Keep a close eye on the walnuts as they can burn quickly. Once the walnuts have toasted, remove the sheet tray from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
- Line another sheet tray with non-stick foil or parchment paper. Mix the beets, oil, salt, and pepper together on the sheet tray until the beets are evenly coated with the oil. Bake for 30 minutes or until the beets have cooked, stirring every 10 minutes. Once the beets have cooked, remove the sheet tray from the oven and allow it to cool completely.
For the Citrus Sherry Vinaigrette
- Combine all of the ingredients for the vinaigrette in a bowl and whisk together until the mixture has emulsified.
To Assemble the Salad
- Place the kale in a bowl with the oil and salt and massage the kale by scrunching the leaves in your hands until the kale has slightly wilted. This process makes the kale less tough and easier to eat. Allow the kale to sit for 15 minutes.
- After the kale has rested, layer the beets, spiced walnuts, orange segments, crumbled goat cheese, and pickled red onions on top. Serve the dressing alongside the salad. Enjoy!
