kale salad with apple and chanterelle mushrooms

i made this salad for thanksgiving, so i wanted to make sure it was hearty and festive (and delicious, of course). the kale is lightly massaged, so it still has all the nutritional benefits, but none of the bitterness and tough texture that usually accompany raw kale.

kale salad with apple and chanterelle mushrooms

1 bunch lacinato kale
about 8 chanterelle mushrooms
1 honeycrisp apple
1/4 cup raw pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
a few shavings of hard goat cheese
1 tablespoon of olive oil
salt

dressing

2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
juice of half a lemon
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil

in a small bowl, whisk together the vinegar, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper. then slowly whisk in the olive oil until the dressing is emulsified.

wash, de-stem and cut the kale into ribbons and toss into a large bowl. pour half of the dressing over the kale and "massage" it in with your fingers for about a minute or two, until leaves are a bit wilted.

in a pan over medium-high heat, pour just a little bit of the olive oil, and add the mushrooms and salt. cook until the mushrooms have released all of their liquid, then add the rest of the oil and saute until brown and slightly crispy. remove mushrooms from pan and set aside. turn heat to low, then add pepitas with a little pinch of salt and stir frequently until the seeds are toasted.

peel and slice honeycrisp apple into matchsticks, then toss with the kale, mushrooms, pumpkin seeds and more dressing (to your taste). top with some thinly shaved goat cheese and enjoy.