Did you know that Kale is packed with some of the best nutrients essential to your diet? Check out this recipe for Warm Kale and Chicken Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Croutons from Antoni: Let’s Do Dinner by Queer Eye Star Antoni Porowski.
Find the recipe for Warm Kale and Chicken Salad with Toasted Hazelnuts and Croutons below.
This filling salad looks like more work than it actually is. A warm dressing softens the kale leaves, and homemade torn croutons fancy things up a bit.
Tuscan kale (aka dinosaur kale, cavolo nero, or black kale) is slightly less bitter, with a more tender and nutty leaf, than other varieties, but any hearty salad greens can be used. Similarly, any nuts you like (or none at all) are just fine.
Serves 4
Ingredients
1/2 cup hazelnuts, with or without skins
About 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 cups torn (1 1/2-inch pieces) country bread
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small garlic clove, gently smashed and peeled
4 anchovy fillets
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
8 cups torn Tuscan or other kale (from a 1/2-pound bunch)
3 cups shredded rotisserie chicken
1/4 cup raisins
Directions
Heat the oven to 350°F. Spread the nuts on a small baking sheet and bake until fragrant and toasted, 10 to 12 minutes. If using nuts with skins, rub them in a clean towel to remove most of the skins (it’s OK if they don’t all come off). Let cool, then coarsely chop.
Meanwhile, heat 1/3 inch of oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until it ripples. Add the bread in a single layer and fry undisturbed until the pieces are lightly golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Turn and continue frying until just lightly golden, 1 to 2 minutes more. Remove the pan from the heat and transfer the croutons to paper towels to drain. Season with salt and pepper while warm.
Remove any bread bits from the skillet, then pour the oil into a measuring cup. Add more oil as needed to make 1/3 cup, then return the oil to the skillet. Add the garlic, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and heat over medium heat until warm and fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and 1/4 teaspoon salt.
Combine the kale, chicken, and half of the hazelnuts and raisins in a bowl. Pour on the dressing and season with salt. Toss to combine. Arrange the salad on plates. Top with the remaining nuts and raisins and serve.
Excerpted from ANTONI: LET’S DO DINNER © 2021 by Antoni Porowski with Mindy Fox. Photography © 2021 by Paul Brissman. Reproduced by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
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