Kale-Lettuce Salad with Sea Vegetables and Lemony Yogurt Dressing

This summer we thought we were going to move, so we did a lot of walking around through different neighborhoods. Even though we didn't find anything we liked at the end, it helped us to learn a lot about the different areas in Quebec. One of my favorite new discoveries is this cute little organic food store in Limoilou, which is just 5-minute drive away from downtown Quebec City. Most of the produce there is supplied by their own local farm. I love going there as much as the farmers market. Since most of the produce there is local and seasonal, every time I go there, I find a different variety of vegetables, and I even get to see them grow larger as the season progresses. I especially love that they have a huge section of sprouts!

I remember it was the end of July when I saw a mixed assortment of kale; some were dark green, some were purple. They were still petite and young. They reminded me of some kale I had once gotten from a specific farmer's stand in NY. I love eating young leafy greens raw; I appreciate their tenderness. So right away, I thought of eating them as a salad.

To be honest, I had never eaten kale raw before this, but for some reason, my instinct was to eat them fresh, as they were. Kale is very rich in vitamin A and C and also has a great amount of vitamin K, which is supposed be great for the bones.

Since it's a summer salad, I wanted it to be as light and healthy as possible. I mixed the kale with other varieties of lettuce and sprouts, and paired them with a refreshing yogurt dressing. Below the recipe, you will find photographs of two versions of the finished salad: one with canned sardines; one with peaches and a soft-boiled egg. For the recipe below, I suggested to pair with canned sardines and soft-boiled eggs. It's up to you to use your imagination and combine with whatever you have in the fridge.

Kale and mixed lettuce salad with kelp and lemony yogurt dressing (4 servings)

About 8- 12 stalks (depending on the size) of kale,

A large handful of mixed lettuce (any kind, I used mixture of red leaf, green leaf, and frisée), washed and dried

Lemony Yogurt Dressing:

A:  1/2 cup yogurt

      juice of 1/2 lemon

      zest of 1 lemon

      1 clove of garlic, grated

      1 1/2 T extra virgin olive oil

      1/2 t sea salt

      a small pinch of ground pepper

A small handful of sprouts or watercress, washed and dried

4 soft-boiled eggs (optional)

1 can of good quality sardines
 

Garnish:

B:  1-2 T dulse flakes

     2 nori sheets, cut into thin strips

1. Cut off the rough and large stalks of the kale and wash well. Spin dry in salad spinner. Cut into small strips. 






 

2. If the mixed lettuce you're using is too big, you can roughly chop it into smaller pieces.

3. Mix both the kale and the lettuce in a bowl and set it in the fridge and keep it cold while preparing the rest of the salad.

4.Mix A together.

5. Right before serving, add the dressing into the bowl of kale, lettuce. Mix well and place the desired portion on each plate.

6. Place some sprouts on top of each portion, set 1 egg on each plate (you can halve it or leave it whole, as you like), and arrange several sardines on each. Sprinkle a little bit coursed sea salt over.

7. Finally, garnish each plate with B on top.

If you don't have dulse flakes, you don't have to use them. I get mine at Whole Foods whenever I'm in NY. For those of you who don't know what dulse flakes are or where to buy them, you can get them here.