What you’ll learn:
- A healthy, hearty salad fit for a meal with warm mushroom omelet, crunchy walnuts, salty shavings of parmesan cheese
- How to transform tough, rough, thick raw kale into soft, buttery lettuce-like texture
- How to customize salad with different ingredients
I’ve just gotten back from a 48 hour jaunt to Los Angeles to shoot a video for my YouTube channel (Dark Chocolate Sea Salt Cookies!) – it’s currently in the magical hands of a professional video editor over at Kin Community.
It’s fun what I can squeeze into a L.A. trip – my must-do’s include staying at the Hotel Erwin right in the heart of Venice Beach – the muscle men, surfers, roller bladers, strange cast of characters, and the gorgeous sunset are free entertainment outside my window. Another must is the downstairs restaurant, Barlo and their breakfast menu which includes Squash Benedict – “poached eggs|Cajun thyme squash pancake|avocado|hollandaise.”
Around the corner and across the street is Hama Sushi, one of the rare L.A. restaurants that have remained in business since I was a Californian (Go Bruins!) over 20 years ago. I managed to snag Gaby of What’s Gaby Cooking for a spontaneous sushi dinner.
The very last “must” is embarrassingly at the airport. I know, I know, it sounds strange. But if you’ve ever flown Delta in/out of LAX, you might recognize Lemonade, a deli that I wish was in every single major airport. Heck, I wish I had one in my hometown. Calling itself “Seasonal Southern California Comfort Food,” they feature nearly 20 super-fresh salads at the bar. Some of my favs: kale salad with mushrooms and kumquat vinaigrette | Butternut squash, radicchio, scotch bonnet sauce, sriracha pepitas | Sun chokes, fennel, orange, pickled red onions, hazelnut. Check out their menu.
I grab a to-go box and have them fill it up with 6 different salads, order a Watermelon-Rosemary Lemonade and get on the plane. I’m in my own little paradise in seat 19C.
When I opened Joe Yonan’s new cookbook, Eat Your Vegetables: Bold Recipes for the Single Cook, and spied the Kale Salad with Miso Mushroom Omelette, I immediately thought, “LEMONADE!” This is just one of those salads that reminds me of the freshness and creativeness of the deli.
Oh gosh, I hope Joe has been to Lemonade before, otherwise would he be offended that I associated airport food with him?!
Secret Kale Tip!
I’ve modified his recipe to suit our family’s taste and size (serves 4 instead of 1) – and I urge you to try this salad with a new technique that I learned from Joe….massaging the kale.
Yes. MASSAGE YOUR KALE.
It transforms an otherwise tough, rough, chewy raw leaves into soft, silky, pleasant greens. Watch the video to see the difference!
Kale Salad with Miso-Mushroom Omelet Recipe Video
***
Kale Salad with Mushroom Omelet Recipe
Ingredients
FOR THE SALAD:
- 1 tablespoon miso paste (or 1 tsp soy sauce)
- 4 eggs
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups chopped mushrooms of your choice
- 8 big handfuls chopped kale, tough stems discarded
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup unsalted chopped raw pecans or walnuts
- 3 ounces grated Pecorino Romano cheese
FOR THE LEMON-CHILE VINAIGRETTE: (makes about 1 cup)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon chile oil or chile sauce (optional)
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons honey
- freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
- Make the salad dressing by combining the vinaigrette ingredients in a jar with a tight fitting lid (like a mason jar) and shake well to combine. Taste and add more salt as needed.
- Whisk the miso paste with the eggs. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat and swirl in the olive oil. Add in the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes, or until mushrooms softened. Add in the egg and turn the heat to medium. Let cook for 2 minutes. Cover and let cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until eggs are set.
- While eggs are cooking, place the kale in a large bowl. Sprinkle with salt. Using massaging motion, rub the kale leaves together to break up and soften the kale.
- When ready to serve, slice omelet in strips. Toss kale with some of the dressing (I used about 1/4 cup of the dressing), chopped nuts and Pecorino Romano cheese. Serve with omelet.
Reprinted with permission from Eat Your Vegetables by Joe Yonan, copyright © 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House, Inc. Food Photography credit: Matt Armendariz © 2013
Did you try this recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and leave a review in the comment section! I always appreciate your feedback and I know other readers do, too!
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Just made this, just wolfed it down. The lemon chile vinaigrette is a sensation. Embarrassingly easy to make and bursting with flavor. Using a meyer lemon from the backyard is a nice bonus.
Yes I “massaged/rubbed down” the kale. And yes breaking it down is worth the two minutes. Adding moringa leaves from my tree made me even prouder of this healthy salad.
The miso/mushrooms in the omelet are divine. The sweet fragrance and umami both offer is other wordly.
This recipe definitely goes in the rotation.
I wish I had a Moringa tree!!!! I have the seeds, perhaps I’ll plant them this Spring.
How’s this for a small world. I’m propagating one for Cheri Alberts (you two are besties according to her Guinness shot post).
I will stick another branch in the ground and let you know when it has broken out in roots and leaves.
I love how you use Kale in this – we use it with Citrus fruits, Gorgonzola and Walnuts:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ey5usZmw5Y
Jaden,
I bought miso which is in a large square plastic container. I will not be able to finish it for at least 3 or 4 months. How long does it keep in the refrigerator? Can I freeze half of it for future use?
There is no instructions on keeping it and for how long.
Thank you,
Eva
It keeps for over a year in the refrigerator if covered well.i have a ton of miso recipes so take a look!
Thanks Jaden. I have tried a couple of them already, and I really love them. I will check out more of your recipes for miso. I’m sure the big jar that I have won’t last for six months.
Yay for Lemonade! There’s one here in Pasadena, far too close for my own good. I love their beet salad with hazelnuts, and their lemonades are always amazing!
Kesehatan : I am fascinated by this post. This is very healthy food. Thank you very much.
Loved this salad. Made it for brunch for my hubby & I today (Saturday). Yum. Unfortunately I thought the dressing was for this one dish–oops. Too much lemon–my error. Kale was fantastic, love the walnuts & cheese with this & adding the omelet with those gorgeous mushrooms–what could be better mid-morning ! Thank you for the recipe & the video..its a keeper. Yet next time, I’ll be more careful to follow directions re 1/4c of dsg in the kale & have some left over for other salads. How healthy !!!
Thank you for this nice recipe i will try it with my wife 🙂
OMG! I want to go to LA just to eat in the airport at Lemonade Deli! WOW!!! I would be in heaven, too. Which salads did you get?
I’m going to try your kale salad recipe for sure. 🙂
Mmm this sounds lovely!!
What a glorious salad! I love all the flavors that are pulled together and the vinaigrette, oh my gosh. The cookbook is definitely a keeper.