This Cucumber Kale Salad is hearty from the kale, flavorful from the Roasted Leek Manchego Pesto Vinaigrette and has great texture from the cucumbers, fennel and toasted almonds!
This has been a very busy summer of never-ending guests and I love it! One of my dearest friends Tiffani is here from Colorado and I am super excited! We are going to have a girls day at the beach today and this salad will be perfect alongside a bottle of Rueda.
I will enjoy this salad with a Rueda but it also pairs well with a Sauvignon Blanc, a white Rioja, a Pinot Gris or a Riesling.
Cucumber Kale Salad with Roasted Leek Manchego Pesto Vinaigrette
4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Roasted Leek Manchego Pesto Vinaigrette - recipe below
- Dash Black Pepper
- 1 Cup Almonds - toasted - instructions below
- 1 Head Head Kale - I used Luciano – chop into thin strips
- 1 Leek – dark greens removed - quartered lengthwise - washed - thinly sliced
- 1 Fennel Bulb – cored - quartered and thinly sliced
- 1/2 Cup Fennel Stalks - thinly sliced
- 1 Cup Peruvian Cucumbers - about 2 – thinly sliced
Pesto Vinaigrette
- 1 Leek – dark greens removed - quartered lengthwise - washed - roasted
- 2 Tablespoons Champagne Vinegar
- 1 Tablespoon Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
- 1/2 Cup Manchego Cheese – finely shredded
- 1/2 Cup Raw Walnuts
- 1/2 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil and some for drizzling
- 1 Garlic Cloves
- 1/4 Teaspoon Hot Paprika
- 1/2 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
Instructions
Almonds
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Preheat oven to 350 degree.
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Spread out on a cookie sheet bake for 20 minutes on the middle rack.
Pesto Vinaigrette
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Preheat oven to 400 degree
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Start by washing the leek really well. There is always dirt on the inside.
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Cut the dark greens off.
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Cut into quarters lengthwise leaving the root intact.
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Wash out any dirt, thinly slice the pale green and white parts up to the root.
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Spread the leeks on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil and lightly sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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Roast on the top rack for about 15 - 20 minutes or until edges start to brown a bit, measure and add to a food processor.
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Juice the lemon with a handheld juicer, measure along with the cheese, walnuts, olive oil, vinegar, garlic, paprika and salt.
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Add to food processor and puree. Scrape down the sides at least once.
Salad
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Wash the kale and tear off the main rib by holding the end of the stem and sliding off the leaves.
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Chop into thin strips.
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Put the kale in a large bowl with olive oil and massage oil into the kale.
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For the leeks, you want to wash them really well. There is always dirt on the inside.
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Cut the dark greens off.
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Cut into quarters lengthwise leaving the root intact.
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Wash out any dirt, thinly slice the pale green and white parts up to the root.
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Add to the kale.
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Cut the stalks off of the fennel bulb, then cut the bulb in half and then cut out the core.
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Slice each half in half and then slice as thin as you can. Add to the kale.
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Add the cabbage, cucumbers and dressing to the kale and mix well.
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*Top with almonds just before eating otherwise they will become soft.
