1bundle of Kaleabout four heaping cups once chopped
½cupshredded Parmesan cheese
⅔cupsliced almonds
¼cupmayoI used homemade but store-bought is good too
¼cupfresh lemon juicejuice from one lemon, might be slightly less than 1/4 cup
3tablespoonolive oil
1tablespoonsugar
1tablespoonpoppy seeds
salt + pepper to taste
Instructions
First we prep the kale. Thoroughly rinse and pat dry the kale. Then remove the leaves from the middle vein. Some larger leaves may have additional tough veins throughout, remove these as well. Chop the kale leaves into small, bite-sized pieces. Use your hands to press the leaves together as you move them all into a large bowl. This is a quick and easy version of "massaging" the kale. Many kale salad recipes encourage you to do this as it will help to soften kale's tough leaves.
Stir together to last six ingredients listed above. Add just a little salt and pepper at first. Taste, and add more to your liking. I usually end up adding quite a bit of salt and pepper plus a sprinkle just a bit more on at the end, right before serving.
In a large bowl toss together the kale, almonds, cheese and dressing so that everything gets coated evenly. You can store this salad in a container (in the refrigerator) for a few hours, but it's best served the day it's made.
Notes
If you want to make this way ahead, I would recommend making the dressing. But don't toss everything together until you're ready to eat.