Baby Kale Salad With Buttermilk Dressing
A fresh, hearty salad full of satisfying flavor and texture, adapted from the Sweet Home Café at the NMAAHC.
Servings: 6 to 8 people
Ingredients
For the Croutons
- 1 cup cornbread, cut into 1/2" cubes
For the Buttermilk Dressing
- 2/3 cup buttermilk (I used low-fat)
- 1 tablespoon good mayonnaise, such as Duke's or Hellmann's
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- juice of 1/2 a lemon (about 1 tablespoon jucie)
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 scallions, sliced very thin
- 1/4 cup snipped fresh chives
- 1 clove garlic, minced fine
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 12 turns of fresh black pepper
For the Salad
- 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 cup toasted corn kernels
- 12 ounces or so (up to 1 pound) baby kale
- 1/2 cup cooked black-eyed peas, drained
- 1 cup cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
Instructions
For the Croutons
- Preheat the oven to 275°F. Spread the cornbread on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes, until golden and crisp. Let fully cool.
For the Dressing
- Combine all the dressing ingredients into a bowl and whisk until well blended. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Salad
- In a small skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat and add the corn. Cook, stirring frequently, until the corn kernels begin to brown and char, about two to three minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.
- In a large salad bowl, toss the kale, peas, and tomatoes. Add most of the dressing and toss to combine. Taste for seasoning and add more dressing if desired. Scatter croutons over the top. Serve immediately.