Name: Make-Ahead Kale Salad with Pecan Dressing
Total time: 2 h 20 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 cup pecans , toasted (½ cup whole, ½ cup chopped coarse); ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 3 tablespoons cider vinegar; 2 tablespoons water; 1 small shallot , chopped; 1 tablespoon maple syrup; 1¼ teaspoons table salt; ¼ teaspoon pepper; 1 pound lacinato kale , stemmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (16 cups); ½ large fennel bulb , stalks discarded, bulb halved, cored, and sliced thin (2 cups); 9 ounces grapes , halved (1½ cups); 2 ounces blue cheese , crumbled (½ cup)

Why This Recipe Works

Using hearty kale as the base meant that the dish could be dressed and ready to go hours ahead of time. Tossing raw fennel with the kale was an easy path to adding maximum crunch. We incorporated juicy grapes to add a burst of color and sweet, refreshing brightness. To tie the salad together, we pulverized toasted pecans to make a creamy pecan dressing and, for additional crunch and to maximize the pecan flavor, tossed chopped pecans into the salad. The thick pecan dressing coated the kale and fennel evenly and softened them as the dressed salad sat.

Before You Begin

Toast the pecans on a rimmed baking sheet in a 350-degree oven until fragrant, 8 to 12 minutes, stirring them halfway through toasting. Lacinato kale is also known as dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, black kale, or cavolo nero. Curly kale is not a good substitute for lacinato kale in this recipe; you can substitute an equal weight of Swiss chard, but limit the refrigeration time in step 2 to 2 hours or the chard will become too soft. We prefer red grapes in this recipe for their bright color, but green grapes are equally delicious here.

Instructions

Process whole pecans, oil, vinegar, water, shallot, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in blender until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, scraping down sides of blender jar as needed. (Dressing can be refrigerated for up to 1 week. It will thicken as it sits; thin with water, stirring in 1 teaspoon at a time, until returned to original consistency.)

Transfer dressing to large bowl. Add kale and fennel and toss to coat. Refrigerate until kale is slightly wilted, at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.

Add grapes, blue cheese, and chopped pecans to kale mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer salad to serving platter. Serve.