Winter Balsamic Kale Salad with Havarti Crisps

white bowl filled with balsamic winter kale salad and havarti crisps

5 from 1 vote

Winter Balsamic Kale Salad with Havarti Crisps

This balsamic kale salad is proof that simple ingredients can yield big flavors! With massaged kale, oven baked havarti crisps, pears and pecans all tossed in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette.

Prep Time20

Cook Time5

Total Time25

Course: Salad

Cuisine: American

Servings:

Calories: 352kcal

Author: Denise Bustard

Ingredients

Havarti Crisps

½ cup havarti cheese (shredded)

Kale Salad

8 cups kale (curly or tuscan; shredded into bite sized pieces (washed and dried))
1 pear (sliced)
⅓ cup toasted pecans (coarsely chopped)
½ cup havarti cheese (cubed)

Balsamic Vinaigrette

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard

Instructions

Havarti Crisps Pre-heat oven to 350°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
Make small piles of the havarti cheese, about ½ tablespoon of cheese per pile and 2 inches apart on the sheet.
Bake in the oven for 5-10 minutes until the cheese becomes crispy (start checking on your cheese at 5 minutes to prevent burning). The edges will be slightly browned and the middle should no longer be jiggly.
Remove from oven and allow to cool. Crisps may be made a few hours ahead of time.
Kale salad
To remove any bitterness from the kale, give it a 'massage' for 2-3 minutes or until it turns a darker green and is slightly 'wilted'.
Shake together the balsamic vinaigrette.
Toss the kale, pear, pecans, and cubed havarti in the dressing.
Top with havarti crisps prior to serving.

Notes

Storage

This salad should be served immediately after dressing in the vinaigrette, and does not keep well for leftovers.

You can prep components of the salad ahead and assemble just before serving:

pre wash + shred the kale (wait until just before serving to massage it) up to 7 days ahead
shake up the vinaigrette up to 2 weeks ahead
toast the pecans up to 1 month ahead
bake the havarti crisps up to 24 hours ahead; store in an open container

Do not slice the pear or cheese until just before serving.

Nutrition