Kale Salad with Candied Almonds and Apple

I don’t know why it took me so long to get this one up on the blog…it’s the recipe our chef friend who catered our wedding came up with when we asked for a kale salad. Needless to say, it was well-loved by our wedding guests (as was everything he created for us that day!).

The easiest way to do it is to grate a bunch of parmesan, make a big batch of candied almonds and dressing, then keep them on hand so you always have the fixings. The only unusual ingredient is the Togarashi, which I had to search out at our local specialty spice shop.     

Toss together:

1 bunch Lacinato/Dinosaur Kale, washed, deribbed and thinly sliced
¼ Parmesan, finely grated
1 Honeycrisp (or similar) Apple, thinly sliced
¼ cup Apple-Togarashi Vinaigrette
¼ cup Candied Almonds, roughly chopped

Apple-Togarashi Vinaigrette
½ cup Apple Cider Vinegar
2 tbsp Honey
1-1/2 cups Olive oil
1 tbsp Thyme, chopped
1 tsp Togarashi
Salt & Pepper to taste

Combine in a mason jar and shake, or mix with an immersion blender.

Candied Almonds
1-1/4 cup Water
1-1/4 cup Sugar
1 lb Almonds, raw
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Salt
2 tsp Togarashi

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large pot, create a simple syrup by combining the sugar and water and bringing it to a boil; simmer until the sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add almonds and bring back to a boil. Reduce to simmer for 10 minutes.

Drain completely in a colander, allowing to drip dry for 5 minutes. In a large bowl, toss with sugar, salt and togarashi. Bake on a cookie sheet for 8-10 minutes, and cool on a drying rack.