Kale and Sautéed Corn Salad

Kale and sautéed corn salad — the most satisfying, filling and everyday easy salad. For these reasons, plus a general obsession with kale, I eat it A LOT.

This kale salad is so simple and full of flavor. Kale massaged with good olive oil, kosher salt and topped with quickly sautéed corn, grated parmesan reggiano, and freshly ground pepper. That’s it. Six ingredients, including the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Very makeable. Today maybe?

Don’t let a little sautéing scare you off. This is a not a time-consuming recipe. I promise:)

Step 1 – Wash, dry and chop (or tear) kale leaves (removing the stem). Place in a large salad bowl.

Step 2 – Lightly drizzle olive oil over kale and—using your hands (you will have very soft hands)—give the kale a little massage. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt. Mmmm…

Honestly, we could stop right here and I could devour it JUST LIKE THIS, which clearly speaks volumes to how much I like kale.

But not today.

Step 3 – Grab a bag of frozen sweet corn from the freezer (or fresh, cooked corn if you have on hand). In a stove top pan on high heat, add a dash of olive oil, 1 cup of corn, a good pinch of kosher salt and fresh pepper. Stir until piping hot, usually no more than 2-3 minutes.

Step 4 – Tip that yummy corn on top of the kale, grate as much parmesan reggiano over top as you like, and GRAB a fork.

Because this kale and corn salad is so tasty as is, with simply the olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan to flavor, I don’t miss that extra ‘bite’ of acid that salad dressings typically contain. That said, if acid is what you crave, squeeze a little fresh lemon over top (a quarter of lemon will suffice).

[Side note, speaking of acid, I just binge watched Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat on Netflix. A good friend recently recommended it to me, as well as the book it’s based on of the same name. Completely enlightening and entertaining. The author, chef and writer Samin Nosrat, is as endearing as they come. I want to be friends. ]

Portion-wise, this kale and sautéed corn salad is perfect for one hungry salad lover (as a lunch or dinner main), or as a tasty side dish for 2-4 people. I picture this salad hanging out next to a grilled, fully-loaded summertime burger…can you see it? Anyone else over the snow and ice and ready for BBQ season?

More kale salad ideas? Try this Herb Loaded Kale and Quinoa Salad and this Parmesan and Pine Nut Kale Salad.

xo

Kale and Sautéed Corn Salad

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 5 minutes mins

Total Time 10 minutes mins

Course Lunch, Main Dish, Salad, Side

Servings 1 as a main 2-4 as a side

Ingredients

  

• 4-5 cups fresh kale washed, dried and chopped into bites - stems removed
• 1 cup frozen sweet corn or cooked fresh corn if in season
• olive oil as needed
• a few generous pinches of kosher salt to taste
• freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup parmesan reggiano finely grated
• a squeeze of fresh lemon optional

Instructions

 

• Wash, dry and chop (or tear) kale leaves (removing the stem). Place in a large salad bowl.
• Lightly drizzle olive oil over kale and—using your hands—give the kale a little massage. Sprinkle with a pinch of kosher salt.
• Grab a bag of frozen sweet corn from the freezer (or fresh, cooked corn if you have on hand). In a stove top pan on high heat, add a dash of olive oil, 1 cup of corn, a good pinch of kosher salt and fresh pepper. Stir until piping hot, usually no more than 2-3 minutes.
• Tip the corn on top of the kale, and grate parmesan reggiano over top. Squeeze a little lemon over top if using.

Keyword kale, salad

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