There’s no better way to dress up kale than to top it with butter roasted pears, crispy sage, and balsamic caramelized shallots. And did I mention grated parmigiano-reggiano too? The sweetness of pears, the acid from balsamic, the saltiness from parm, the piney citrus of sage, the richness of butter. WOW.
I don’t have anything else really to say but try this…because butter, cheese, shallots…yes please.
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Makes: 4 salads
The Ingredients
1 medium package baby kale
1 small block Parmigiano-Reggiano, grated
1 package fresh sage (about 16-20 leaves removed)
3 shallots, cut into rings
2 ripe Bartlett pears (or whatever other pears you have!), cut into 4 slices each pear
6 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
The Steps
Balsamic Shallots: In a pan, add 3 tablespoons balsamic and a dash of olive oil. Add shallot rings over medium heat. Sauté shallots for 5-6 minutes until shallots start to caramelize and the balsamic begins to thicken into a sticky syrup that coats the pan. When shallots look caramelized, remove from heat and set aside.
Dressing: In a small bowl, make the dressing by combining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together and add more vinegar or olive oil depending on how tart you like your dressing.
In a large salad bowl, add kale, parm and dressing. Toss to combine.
Roasted Pears: In a separate pan, add butter, 1 tablespoon balsamic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat pan to medium-high, let butter melt, and add pear slices cut-side down. Pears will sizzle and start to caramelize. Shift around pears, keeping them cut-side down just to ensure all pears are getting even heat. Use a spoon to baste pears with butter mixture. Once pears are golden brown on the cut-side (around 6-10 minutes), remove from heat.
Plate salad, and use tongs to top salad with roasted pears and balsamic glazed shallots.
Fried Sage: Finally, take the same pan that you roasted the pears in, and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Over medium-high heat, let butter melt and sizzle. Add sage leaves and immediately turn off heat. The sage will crisp up in a matter of seconds. Remove sage leaves from pan and use tongs to place on top of salad. Garnish with black pepper and serve immediately.
The Steps with Pictures
Balsamic Shallots: In a pan, add 3 tablespoons balsamic and a dash of olive oil. Add shallot rings over medium heat. Sauté shallots for 5-6 minutes until shallots start to caramelize and the balsamic begins to thicken into a sticky syrup that coats the pan. When shallots look caramelized, remove from heat and set aside.
Dressing: In a small bowl, make the dressing by combining 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, 1/3 cup olive oil, salt and pepper to taste. Whisk together and add more vinegar or olive oil depending on how tart you like your dressing.
In a large salad bowl, add kale, parm and dressing. Toss to combine.
Roasted Pears: In a separate pan, add butter, 1 tablespoon balsamic, and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Heat pan to medium-high, let butter melt, and add pear slices cut-side down. Pears will sizzle and start to caramelize. Shift around pears, keeping them cut-side down just to ensure all pears are getting even heat. Use a spoon to baste pears with butter mixture. Once pears are golden brown on the cut-side (around 6-10 minutes), remove from heat.
Plate salad, and use tongs to top salad with roasted pears and balsamic glazed shallots.
Fried Sage: Finally, take the same pan that you roasted the pears in, and add 2 more tablespoons of butter. Over medium-high heat, let butter melt and sizzle. Add sage leaves and immediately turn off heat. The sage will crisp up in a matter of seconds. Remove sage leaves from pan and use tongs to place on top of salad. Garnish with black pepper and serve immediately.
