Salad of Kale, Beans, and Tuna with Scallion Dressing

This is a riff on a classic of Italian cuisine, only it has kale in it, because, y’know, it’s kale, and besides being good for you, it tastes good raw. As long as it is fairly tender and young. I find that crumpling kale leaves seems to result in a reaction that makes the leaves sweeter, so be vigorous while prepping the kale here. This is a salad that can be done quickly, especially if you are practiced at stripping the stems out of kale with your fingers, and your favas are already done or you skip them.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch kale, stemmed and torn into smallish bite-sized bits, squeezed in your fist with some vigor several times, and washed and spun dry

1 can or 2 cups cooked beans such as cannellini, garbanzo, or kidney (If using canned beans, buy low-sodium and rinse the beans thoroughly)

1 or 2 7-ounce cans of albacore tuna in water, drained, OR, the same packed in olive oil, not drained

¼ cup heaping scallion whites, sliced 1/8^th inch thin by 1 inch long

Optional- 1 to 2 cups blanched and peeled fava beans if you have them/the time

Large flake salt and pepper to taste

1 cup Scallion Vinaigrette, made with agave or sugar (I’m not sure about tuna and honey in this salad) — See recipe on site

METHOD:

Put the tuna into a large non-reactive bowl. Use a fork or your fingers to break the tuna into flakes. Try not to push so hard the tuna starts to break down into fluff. Drizzle with a small amount of dressing, tossing gently to coat.

Put the kale into a separate bowl, and lightly dress just to coat. Put the dressed kale onto a platter or in a serving bowl.

Add the beans to the tuna and, if you are using them, the favas, and drizzle with a small amount of dressing to lightly coat the beans. Scatter some crunchy salt over and some pepper. Gently toss the beans and tuna to combine and scatter over the kale.

Scatter the scallion whites over the salads, scatter with salt and pepper to taste, and serve. Pass extra dressing on the side for those who like a wetter salad. (The salad is best chilled for a bit before serving)

Chef’s Notes: If using favas, a few scrapes with a peeler over some Romano cheese could be very nice. If you have filet beans, they could be used in lieu of favas, or with them. Pine nuts would be a nice addition as well.

Serves: 4

Source: Chef Andrew E Cohen