Kale, Arugula and Peanut Salad With Olive Oil and Balsamic Glaze

Kale and arugula are some of the most nutritious greens around.

Both have a reputation for bitterness.

But if you buy these greens fresh and at peak maturity, you’ll find kale almost sweet and arugula more “peppery” than anything else.

This super simple salad is one of my all-time favorites.

You can buy a good balsamic dressing but I think a simple drizzling of olive oil and balsamic glaze is great.

What Is Balsamic Glaze?

Balsamic glaze is simply a reduction of balsamic vinegar. In other words, it’s balsamic vinegar heated until some of the liquid evaporates creating a thicker substance. It pours like maple syrup.

For this salad you can certainly use balsamic vinegar instead of glaze. The glaze is so good, though. I always opt for it since we have an excellent source at a local food shop.

Some commercial balsamic glazes contain added sweeteners so be sure to check ingredients.

You can make your own glaze, too. Here’s a recipe.

Nutritional Punch

This salad has so much good stuff. It is definitely a MIND diet darling. If you are allergic to peanuts or tree nuts, try substituting sunflower seeds or corn “nuts.”

Alternatively, just try the greens with oil, glaze, and a sprinkle of salt. Let the leaves soak up some of the dressing before serving.

Curly or Not?

I like curly kale for this salad because the frilly leaves catch and hold the dressing and chopped peanuts. Because curly kale has a thicker leaf, be sure to cut out the stalks and chopped the leaves into bite-size pieces.

Or, you can use the variety of kale that you prefer.

Same goes for the arugula. I like using baby arugula but chopping a larger arugula leaf works, too.

With such a healthy, delicious, and flexible salad there’s no excuse to not indulge in this recipe often.