Balsamic Kale Salad with Strawberries

By vdub

A word about raw kale salads: they really do best with lacinato kale (also known as Tuscan kale, black kale or cavolo nero), which is much less severe and therefore better served raw than other varieties. If you don't believe us, the New York Times actually pays Melissa Clark to say so. So if you think you're ready for raw kale, please be careful not to do this with the curly green kind--it'll make you hate kale, which will make us weep.

You can also use with other fruit, depending on the season--try pears or apples in the winter, peaches and nectarines later in the summer.

Ingredients

• 1 bunch (ours was about 25 medium-sized leaves) lacinato kale
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 10 strawberries, sliced
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced
• Freshly grated parmesan cheese (totally optional)

Preparation

Step 1

Wash kale and remove stems. Slice into very thin ribbons and place in a large salad bowl. Whisk together the oil, vinegar, mustard and salt and pour over kale, mixing well to coat. Let it marinate for at least an hour (up to a day).

When you're ready to serve, divide kale into individual bowls and top with strawberries, hard-boiled egg and parmesan.