OMG I am OBSESSED with these light pickled red onions. I’ve been putting them on all of my salads recently, although it all started with this one. When making this salad, I recommend making a larger batch of the red onions (like a whole red onion) than you need because it gets better as it sits over a day or two. Keep everything separate if making a larger batch for a week. Then assemble it and dress it right before you serve.
Pickled Red Onion & Apple Kale Salad
-
1/2 red onion, pickled (see below)
-
2 small Yellow Delicious Apples or green apples, Julienned (I’ve also done this with blackberries and it’s great!)
-
1/4 cup toasted & slightly sweetened pecans or walnuts- you can buy them already sweetened or make your own– I did a quick play off my recipe here.
-
1-2 bunches of kale (if you really like kale and want to make it larger, go for 2. if this is more of a side salad, go for 1)
-
1 bunch fresh mint leaves
-
Red Wine Vinaigrette (see dressing recipe here)
Easy Light Pickled Onion
-
2 teaspoons mirin
-
2 teaspoons rice vinegar
-
big pinch sea salt
-
1/2 red onion, very thinly sliced (the thinner, the better)
Not too much to say here for directions, except that you want to thoroughly massage the kale with the dressing or some olive oil for about 30 seconds to a minute before you add in all the other ingredients. This will take out the bitter and toughness. I normally add in the kale into a large bowl, add in the dressing, massage the kale for about a minute, and then add in the rest of the ingredients. Season with salt and pepper before serving.