Author Notes: Every bite of this filling, easy-to-prep kale salad is different and interesting given its big jumble of flavors and textures: rich salami, crisp apple, chewy-tart cranberries, sharp-salty pecorino, and toasty walnuts. It’s all tied together by a lemon-walnut vinaigrette that features a nifty hack for walnut oil: Finely grate walnuts with a microplane (they’ll look like a snowy mound on your counting board!) and whisk them into your vinaigrette. 

Kale Salad with Salami, Pecorino, and Walnuts

Makes: 4 large salads 
Prep time: 15 min

Ingredients

For the lemon-walnut vinaigrette

• 8toasted walnut halves
• 1tablespoon finely grated lemon zest + 3 tablespoons juice from 2 lemons
• 6tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2teaspoon Aleppo pepper, or a lesser amount of red pepper flakes
• 1pinch kosher salt, to taste

For the rest of the salad

• 1large tart apple (such as honey crisp), cored, halved, and thinly sliced
• 2bunches Tuscan kale, trimmed, ribs removed, and sliced into thin ribbons (about 8 to 9 cups in total)
• 1pinch kosher salt, to taste
• 1/2cup toasted and chopped walnuts (use leftover walnut pieces from vinaigrette)
• 1/2cup dried cranberries (or another dried fruit in bite-sized pieces)
• 1cup finely grated pecorino romano (or another hard, nutty cheese)
• 1cup salami (about 3 ounces), sliced into thin ribbons

Directions

1. To make the vinaigrette: With a microplane, grate the walnuts, one at a time, until you have 3 tablespoons of shavings. (Tip: grate about 3/4 of each walnut, taking care to not nick your fingers, and save the leftover walnut pieces for the salad.) In a bowl or a jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the grated walnuts with the lemon zest (use the same microplane to zest the lemon) and the rest of the ingredients. Whisk (or shake) until emulsified and adjust salt and acidity to taste.
2. In a small bowl, toss the apple slices with about a tablespoon of the vinaigrette to prevent discoloration. Set aside.
3. Add kale to a large salad bowl, and season with a few pinches of kosher salt. Using your hands, toss and massage about 3 to 4 tablespoons of the vinaigrette into the leaves, adding more vinaigrette if needed (I usually don't use the full amount). Toss in the apples and remaining ingredients. Serve immediately, or make up to a full day in advance. (Note that the apple may lose some of its crispness over a day’s time, so add the apple before serving if you like.)

https://food52.com/recipes/77916-kale-salad-with-salami-pecorino-and-walnuts