Salt-massaged kale, Brussels sprout & sour cherry salad
Brussels aren’t just for Christmas
Full of invigorating crunch, zip and zing, this lively, tart cherry-bejewelled salad brings a much-welcome burst of vitality to cold, winter days. One of my most popular recipes, it’s also converted a fair few Brussels-agnostics and avoidants!
Normally too robust to be eaten raw, salt-massaging the kale and Brussels tenderises their leaves, producing brilliant colour, crunch, and succulence – without any of the strong, sulphurous tones you get with cooking. As an added bonus, you retain all the raw health benefits (see below). Meanwhile, the sour cherries and toothsome cherry vinegar add sparkle, pop, and a touch of sweetness, lifting the whole dish into mouth-watering balance.
A novel, fresh take on the tradition of Brussels sprouts, this salad works particularly well as a Christmas dinner side. Bold enough to hold its own amongst the feast of accompaniments, it’s also the perfect counterpoint to all the other cooked elements on the plate: crisp to their soft, palate-cleansing acidity cutting the richness. As we taste through contrast, the combination makes every mouthful of your meal explode with flavour.
My top fave winter salad, every year I’m always a little bit gutted when Brussels season draws to a close.
Thinking of optimising your health with your diet?
What’s great about it
Kale and Brussels sprouts are both members of the sulphur-rich cruciferous family, helping to maintain glutathione levels, the body’s ‘master' antioxidant.
Not cooking the greens preserves their heat-sensitive nutrient content (vitamins B, C, and potassium).
Cherries promote health by preventing or reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, the drivers of chronic disease. Both sweet and tart (aka sour) varieties (both used here) are rich in nutrients and bioactive compounds with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties: polyphenols (anthocyanins, hydroxycinnamates and flavanols), melatonin, carotenoids, and vitamins C and E.[1]
There’s strong evidence that cherries reduce oxidative stress, inflammation, blood pressure, exercise-induced muscle soreness, damage, and recovery.[1]
They may also have beneficial effects on arthritis, diabetes, blood lipids, sleep (quality and quantity), memory, cognitive functions, stress, anxiety, and mood.[1]
As well as tasting incredible, sour cherries are one of the most potent anti-inflammatories out there, with research showing they’re just as effective at treating inflammation as ibuprofen and other NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), possibly more so.
In peak season
When UK-grown produce is at its best and most widely available:
Brussels sprouts: October-February
Kale: September-April
Enjoy this salad October-February when both Brussels and kale are at their best.
How many of your ≥5-A-Day: 1.2 per serving
Plant points: 8.75
Time
Prep: 10 minutes, but you do need to plan ahead as the cherries are soaked overnight and the greens allowed to sit for 1-2 hours
Cooking: 6-8 minutes
Ingredients (serves 4)
35g unsweetened organic dried sour cherries, chopped roughly or left whole, as you prefer (see recommendations below)
40g Womersley Cherry Vinegar (see stockists below)
150g organic kale, leaves stripped from the tough central stalk and torn into rough bits, see first photo below (will yield about 110g fronds and 40g stems*)
90g organic Brussels sprouts, tough outer skins removed, tailed, and shredded finely (approx. 75g net weight)
Level ½ teaspoon Blackthorn Salt, crushed in a mortar and pestle or between your fingers (or ¼ teaspoon finely ground pink Himalayan or sea salt)
90g organic spinach leaves, e.g. Duchy Organic from Waitrose
*The stems are too tough to eat raw, but don’t throw them away. Save for later, slice them up finely, sauté in a little butter and toss into an omelette – the perfect amount for one! Or add some extra greens and serve as a side veg.
Dressing:
20g/4 teaspoons organic extra virgin olive oil
20g/4 teaspoons organic lemon juice (lemons are on the PAN UK Dirty Dozen list despite their thick peels, so do go organic)
10g/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
5g/1 teaspoon organic Japanese ume plum vinegar, e.g. Clearspring Ume Su
Freshly ground black pepper
Garnish:
15g pistachio kernels – for a special occasion, try green peeled pistachio kernels, the deluxe pistachio nut (see stockists below). For everyday, regular supermarket pistachios are great (raw/roasted, shelled/unshelled, salted/unsalted).
Method
Soak the chopped dried sour cherries in the cherry vinegar overnight.
1-2 hours before you plan to eat the salad, place the torn kale leaves and finely shredded Brussels in a large mixing bowl – one that’s big enough to get your hands into. Sprinkle over the salt and massage it into the greens, using a lifting and rubbing action as though you’re making crumble or rubbing the butter into flour for shortcrust pastry. Keep going until the leaves’ colour has changed to a vivid, bright green, they’ve taken on a cooked appearance and feel slightly wet to the touch (about 3-5 minutes). See the before and after pics below. Don’t over-massage – there shouldn’t be any pooling of water, just a sensation of slight wetness on your fingertips.
Kale and Brussels before salt-massaging
After salt-massaging
3. Cover the bowl of salt-massaged greens and set aside in a cool place for 1-2 hours. This step allows the salt more time to work on the leaves, drawing out their moisture and tenderising them.
4. Meantime, prep the pistachios. If you’re using green peeled pistachio kernels, preheat the oven to 160C, place the nuts on a baking tray and roast until fragrant and golden, approximately 6-8 minutes. Check at 6 minutes then 1-minute intervals thereafter until ready. Allow to cool completely before chopping into slivers, cutting along their length for max visual appeal.
If you have raw pistachio kernels (i.e. unpeeled raw shelled), proceed as above, but note they may take a minute or two longer in the oven, given their slightly larger size.
If you’ve bought roasted pistachios, simply remove the shells (if unshelled) and sliver.
Green peeled pistachio kernels, roasted and nibbed
5. Make up the dressing about an hour before you’re ready to serve the salad. Strain the cherries from the cherry vinegar and set aside. Transfer the drained cherry vinegar to a small bowl. Add the rest of the salad dressing ingredients and whisk to a smooth emulsion. Check the flavour and adjust to suit your personal taste, e.g. add more lemon juice for extra acidity, more oil for less, more cherry vinegar for sweetness, more ume plum vinegar for saltiness.
6. At least half an hour before serving, add the drained soaked cherries and salad dressing to the salt-massaged greens and fork or stir through until they’re evenly coated in dressing and the cherries are evenly dispersed. Set aside to allow the flavours to mingle.
7. Immediately prior to serving, add the spinach leaves and toss gently to combine, so as not to crush the tender leaves.
8. Scatter with the slivered, roasted pistachio kernels and serve.
Recommended products & stockists
Real Food Source Organic Unsweetened Tart Cherries contain no sweeteners, no oils, no additives, just 100% organic cherries. Sold in 250g and 1kg packs, although the handily sized 250g seems to go in and out of stock (look for it in their 250g Pack section).
I try not to use hard to get hold of ingredients, but there is no substitute for the Womersley Cherry Vinegar. You need its cherry 'pop' and sweetness to bring the salad into balance. In the interests of your convenience, I’ve tried various alternatives, but, honestly, they just don’t work. Trust me on this one, you won’t regret it! Available from Womersley direct (just follow the link) and plenty other online shops.
Clearspring Organic Japanese Ume Su is available from most health food stores and widely online. Local stockists include Natural Balance and Locavore.
Green peeled pistachio kernels are shelled, blanched and then skinned to reveal their stunning emerald-green colour. The most pistachioey of pistachio nuts, prized for their beauty and epitomisation of pistachio flavour, you may have encountered them in luxury pastries, ice cream, desserts, chocolate and sausages (those bright green nibs studding fancy charcuterie). Not cheap, not that easy to find and usually sold in catering-size bags of 500g or more (sorry!), I used them here because I had some left over from my professional pastry cheffing days. And because they taste ‘Wow!’. I’ve dug around and Ottolenghi’s online shop is your best option for small quantities: green pistachio kernels, £7.50 for 100g. But don’t forego this salad just because you don’t have any – they’re a luxe touch to add if you’re preparing it for a special meal, on Christmas day, say. For everyday, use whatever pistachio nuts you find in your local supermarket: raw/roasted, shelled/unshelled, salted/unsalted.
Serving suggestions
Perfect with my Oxtail Stew with Star Anise, Cinnamon and Orange, served with Celeriac Velvet – recipe to be republished in the next few days.
As an accompaniment to traditional Christmas dinner.
Great with most meats, poultry and game birds, especially fatty roasted ones like duck, goose and pork.
With meaty white fish and rainbow trout – trout has a special affinity with cherries, hot-smoked or fresh.
With pâté as a starter.
With cheese and cheese dishes, especially blue, Brie, goats’ and ricotta.
References
Kelley DS, Adkins Y, Laugero KD. A review of the health benefits of cherries. Nutrients. 2018;10(3):368. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5872786/