This Asparagus Kale Salad is a delicious way to enjoy the king of super healthy greens in a low-carb dish. Combining grilled asparagus and jarred red peppers, this salad is sure to be a hit at any gathering. With its vibrant colours and wonderful flavours, it's sure to be a favourite among health-conscious eaters.
In this grilled asparagus and kale salad, super healthy greens are combined with grilled asparagus and jarred red peppers.
The jarred peppers add a nice tangy sweetness, while the asparagus adds a wonderful crunch. The result is a low-carb, great-tasting salad that’s filled with essential vitamins and minerals.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Kale - forms the base of this salad, but you can also use any hearty greens such as chard, silverbeet or collard greens.
- Asparagus - used for its wonderfully earthy, grassy flavour and because it is just so good when you grill it! You can use sautéed green beans; either fresh or frozen will work here. No need to defrost the beans first; you can sauté them while frozen.
- Jarred Red Peppers - they bring a pop of bright red colour and some sweet, tangy flavour to this salad. Swap for fresh if you like, or with some sun-dried tomatoes.
- Almond Slivers - added for some creamy crunch, or swap for chopped almonds, pine nuts, macadamias, or Brazil nuts.
- Pesto Dressing - so easy just grab a jar of ready-made pesto to add some aromatic flavour to your salad. No pesto? Just use a simple lemon vinaigrette, or even a basic balsamic dressing would work.
Do I Really Need to Massage My Kale?
While this may seem like an odd thing to do to this vitamin-packed leafy green, it helps break down the tough structure and gives kale a smoother texture and softer flavour.
Massaging kale softens the leaves and makes them easier to chew and digest. It also helps release sugars to balance its bitterness for a much tastier salad.
What to Do Instead of Massaging
If the thought of massaging your kale is unappealing, then you have three alternatives:
- You can shred the kale finely or chop it into small pieces and let the dressing take care of making it tender. But make sure you make your salad at least an hour or more in advance to allow the kale leaves to soften.
- You can place the raw kale leaves (ribs removed) with your dressing and let them soften overnight in your fridge.
- You can make your salad well ahead of serving time and let the citrus and vinegar break down the leaves and make them softer.
How to Make This Salad
Step 1- Prepare the Asparagus
Wash your asparagus and remove the woody ends. The best way to do this is by picking an asparagus spear, bending the stalk and snapping it, then lining it up with the other spears and trimming them all the same size.
Add the trimmed spears to a bowl and season with salt and pepper; add some oil and toss the asparagus to coat with the oil and seasonings.
In a hot medium-sized grill pan OR on your barbecue, add the asparagus and cook until tender and slightly charred (approximately 3-5 minutes at the most).
While you allow the asparagus to cool slightly, prepare your kale.
Step 2- How to Massage the Kale
Either rip the leafy parts of the kale from the ribs or cut them off with a knife and then discard the ribs, then finely shred them.
Place your kale leaves in a large bowl and add the pesto dressing ingredients with some sea salt and gently rub the leaves together for approximately 3 minutes. Don’t overdo it, as you don’t want your kale to turn to mush.
Massaging the kale with the dressing not only softens it so that it is more palatable, but it also has the added benefit of letting the kale soak up the deliciousness of your dressing, which is exactly what we have done in this grilled asparagus salad.
Step 3- Assemble Your Kale Salad
Chop your jarred peppers. Then cut your cooled asparagus into 2.5cm (1 inch) batons.
Place your massaged kale, cooled asparagus, and diced peppers in a large mixing bowl along with the almond slivers.
Season with salt and pepper, then toss the salad until well combined. Taste and adjust seasonings according to your taste.
Arrange in a salad bowl, and scatter with extra slivered almonds to garnish.
Serve and Enjoy!
Serving Suggestions 🍽
This salad pairs well with grilled
Common Questions
How Long Can I Store It?
- This is a hearty salad that will keep for approximately 4-5 days so long as you keep it covered in an air-tight container in the fridge.
- I like to add some tinned tuna to the leftover salad to make it go further and for some added protein.
Can I Food Prep This Salad?
- This grilled asparagus salad is just perfect for food prep for your weekday lunches as it keeps well in the fridge and is substantial enough to keep you energised throughout the day.
- Just add any form of protein that you like, such as crumbled feta, grilled chicken breasts, shredded pork, or flaked salmon, to make it a complete meal.
What Diets is Grilled Asparagus Salad Suitable For?
- This salad is low carb which makes it perfect for keto, it is paleo, vegan and vegetarian-friendly, and naturally, it is gluten and dairy-free!
- Each serving contains 207 calories and has an extremely low net carb count of four grams.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 500 grams asparagus approxmately 2 bunches,17.64 ounces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Sea salt and cracked black pepper
- 180 grams kale approximately ½ a bunch, 6.35 ounces
- 200 grams jarred red capsicums (peppers) approximately four, 7.05 ounces
- ¼ cup slivered almonds
- ¼ cup pesto
- 3 tablespoons oil
- ¼ cup red wine vinegar apple cider vinegar
Instructions
- Wash your asparagus and remove the woody ends.
- Add the trimmed spears to a bowl and season with salt and pepper; add some oil and toss the asparagus to coat.
- In a hot medium-sized grill pan OR on your barbecue, add the asparagus and cook until golden and slightly soft (approximately 3-5 minutes at the most).
- While your asparagus is cooking, wash the kale, trim and remove the stems, then shred finely.
- In a large mixing bowl add the kale with the pesto dressing ingredients. Massage the kale until it starts to soften (approximately 3 minutes).
- Dice your jarred capsicums then cut your cooled asparagus into 2.5cm (1 inch) batons.
- In the bowl with your massaged kale add the asparagus batons, diced peppers and slivered almonds. Season with salt and pepper, then toss the salad until well combined.
- Taste your kale asparagus salad and adjust seasonings according to your taste. Arrange in a salad bowl, scatter with some extra slivered almonds to garnsh. Serve and Enjoy!
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