The best kale salad on the face of the planet: Lemony kale salad with parmesan crisps and a sunny side up egg.
AKA THE BEST KALE SALAD IN ALL THE LAAAAAAAAAND!
Please don’t leave.
At least stay for the preview!
At some point between writing Let Them Eat Kale!, and…well…now, I began a hot pursuit of THEBEST kale salad in ALLTHELAND.
Meaning, I’ve been scouring local restaurants for saladspiration so that I could snag their idea, copy cat it, stick it on this here blog and call it: “THE BEST KALE SALAD IN ALL THE LAND” < – not that I’m shouting…It’s just that my blog post titles appear in capital letters, so I figured I’d give you a real accurate visual.
So, I may have become a bit of a kale snot.
A lot of a kale snot.
A medium-sized to epically large snoody snot kale snot.
Snot major.
Wait, don’t tell me: you’ve been on the prowl for the most righteously awesome kale salad in all the nine kingdoms, too? You’re an epically large snoody snot kale McSnotsalot too? This is why we’re friends.
Back to my kale salad story.
My friends and I have narrowed it down to three kale salads from three different restaurants. We all agree the Kale Caesar from Bowl, the Highway to Kale from Laughing Planet, and the Kale Salad from Campo are the top three in town. BUT, we are all at odds about which restaurant has THEBEST kale salad in ALLTHELAND, as we all have a different opinion. Anyhoo, to cut to the chase, my favorite kale salad is the one from Campo.
All’s it is, is blanched kale dressed with lemon-garlic vinaigrette, a poached egg on top, and a little sumpin’ sumpin’ they call, “crispy grana padano”…which I like to call, “parmesan crisps.”
Have you ever had parmesan crisps? They’re dope, mates. Real dope. And they’re easy to make. Here’s what you do: Plop piles of fresh grated parmesan on a parchment-lined baking sheet, like so:
Bake at four hundo F for 5 to 8 minutes until your parm babies get nice and crispy.
BOOM! Crack for cheese lovers.
You then break up your crack…err…crisps…and toss them in your salad. This is, in my opinion, what makes this salad the bomb diggity.
As you can see, I did not poach my egg the way Campo does…on account of the fact that my egg poaching skillz need some fine tuning.
So I sunny side up-ed it. So long’s there’s a runny yolk on top, you’re sitting pretty. I also did not blanch my kale, because I’m totes fine with it raw. But if you prefer your kale a little softer and less bitter, blanch those leaves!
Confession: The reason I did not title this recipe, “the best kale salad on the face of the planet” is because I know soooomeone’s going to make it and leave a comment like, “Rabble rabble hoopty loo, this is NOT the best kale salad ever,” which is too much for my fragile ego to take. So I gave it a humble title instead.
What’s in your favorite kale salad?
Lemony Kale Salad with Parmesan Crisps
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons aged parmesan cheese grated
- 1 head lacinato kale stems removed, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
- 2 fried poached or sunny side up eggs for serving
Instructions
To make the parmesan crisps:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
- Grate 5 tablespoons worth of aged parmesan cheese
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper
- Measure 1 tablespoon of parmesan cheese and place it in a pile on a baking sheet. Repeat for remaining cheese
- Bake for 5 to 8 minutes, or until browned and crispy.
- Allow parmesan crisps to sit on the hot baking sheet a couple of minutes before gently peeling them off of the parchment. Use your hands to break the parmesan crisps up into small bits for adding to the salad.
Prepare the salad:
- Add the raw (or blanched) chopped kale to a medium-sized serving bowl.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, mustard, and salt until well-combined.
- Pour the dressing over the kale and toss until everything is well coated.
- Add the parmesan crisps and serve with a poached, fried, or sunny side up egg.
We are on the same kale wave length today lady! This salad looks amazing and those parmesan crisps soooo look like something I would make…even just by themselves.. so simple and cheesy.
I love me a killer kale salad….and bonus points for parmesan crisps! I could eat this for lunch or dinner, any day!!
I was sold with the runny egg, then I saw the Parmesan crisps, and now I have to rethink lunch!
I believe you!! This looks amazing!!! Kale chips are amazing with parmesan, I can only imagine how yummy with crisps in a salad.
PARMESAN CRISPS! <– In my mind, I was trying to figure out if there's an accurate textual way to describe the way my soul dances when I say that. Parmesan crisps are my jam — I ordered a salad that comes in a parmesan crisp bowl, just so I can eat the bowl. The whole bowl, obvs, because salad. This looks SO tasty and I love the egg on top
This post cracks me up! I can relate to being a kale snot and this one is too good not to pin and make tonight!
love a good kale salad. I me member the first time I saw Parmesan crisps. Had to make them immediately. So easy and sooooooo good! Love the flavor combinations here! Thanks for sharing!
This is clearly a wonderful salad. I haven’t had many kale salads, but my favorite is the kale and Brussels sprout Caesar salad at Steamworks Brewing in Durango, CO. I really like the idea of the egg on top of yours, because it makes it pretty much into a whole meal.
Oh I’m definitely a kale snob! This looks ah-mazing. How dare anybody write in the comments that it’s not the best. Sheesh. Love those parmesan crisps! I want them on everything…and most importantly right in my mouth!
Well I’d say this is pretty darn perfect! I have to have this, especially with the egg and parm crisps!
I say screw the naysayers and change the title! It looks worthy in my opinion. Although I might be biased due to my crack addiction. I mean, cheese. Parmesan crisps are my weakness. Ugh, so good!
If you’re a kale snot, you’re my favorite kale snot in alllll the land. How have I never made parm crisps?! DREAMY.
Wow, this does look like a great salad! You can’t go wrong with a runny egg and crunchy cheese!
As a cheese lover, and an egg lover, and a kale lover, I am looooving this salad! Definitely the best in all the land! And there’s nothing wrong with being a snot when it comes to good food!
I have only started making kale salad, let me see…. one month ago. So I am a super newbie at it. This one looks like a winner!
I think it deserves the title of the best! This looks amazing!
Thanks, love! Hope you try it 😀
I’m on the search for THE BEST KALE SALAD IN ALL THE LAND also! How did you know? Trying this this weekend. It also fits perfectly into my wedding diet…so WIN.
YES! I hope you love the salad as much as I do! xoxo
Epic egg + kale meal! I’m a sucky for a runny egg on anything.
mmmmmmhmmmmm!! Runny yolks are dabombdotcom!
YUM! I love anything paired with lemon and garlic – and this recipe looks fabulous. Will test it out this week! Thanks!
I’m totally the same way with getting excited about kale! And making the best salad in the world! And then taking it down a notch with my title/description because eek, what if someone disagrees??
But kale with a egg on top IS the best kale in all the land. This looks delicious. And I didn’t know you can make parmesan crisps just like that – cheese crack indeed!
Definitely going to be adding parmesan crisps to the next salad I make. What a delicious idea!
YEEEEHAAAW! Parm crisps are the bomb! Enjoy, Thalia!