While the squash and zucchini plants have suffered some damage from the dreaded vine borers, the kale plants are still going strong. I used to say “I don’t DO kale” but have come around to the dark green side in a major way. The following recipe came to mind when I realized that one of the benefits of kale is its ability to stand up to heavier sauces in its raw state. Warm bacon dressing is used with spinach in part because it tastes good and also because spinach is more substantial than lettuce and can tolerate that type of dressing. Kale is even more hearty so I decided to try out a warm andouille sausage dressing that would match up well with the texture and taste of this particular green.
G and I have been getting very comfortable with the concept of eating “dinner for breakfast” so it no longer seems weird to us to have kale in the morning. This recipe also calls for fried eggs which is something easy to make in the morning and it really goes well with the salad. G doesn’t like the egg on top of the salad and just eats it separately. Personally, I think the egg on top is delicious and the egg yolk adds a nice creaminess to the dressing.
Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 3 ounces Andouille sausage
- 2 teaspoons oil/fat (for frying sausage)
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup diced Vidalia (sweet) onion
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 fried eggs, cooked to “over medium” (optional)
Serves 2
Instructions
- Remove the stems and thick spines from the kale and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly.
- Chop or tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, (or slice into thin ribbons) place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Slice (or dice) the Andouille sausage and sauté in a frying pan on medium-high heat in 2 teaspoons of fat/oil. Cook sausage for about 5-7 minutes or until much of the fat has been rendered and the sausage crisps up a bit.
- Add the mushrooms and onions and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and add the 1/4 cup of olive oil, the vinegar and the salt and pepper and stir for a few seconds until heated through.
- Pour the warm Andouille sausage dressing over the kale and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately
Optional:
Fry two eggs in ghee, coconut oil, or other fat of your choice to “over-medium”. Toss the salad with the dressing and divide between two plates. You can either serve the egg alongside the salad (as G prefers) or with the egg on top (my preferred method.)
Enjoy!
Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing
Kale Salad with Warm Andouille Sausage Dressing
- Prep Time: 20
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 bunch kale
- 3 ounces Andouille sausage
- 2 teaspoons oil/fat (for frying sausage)
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1/2 cup diced Vidalia (sweet) onion
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 3/4 teaspoon salt + more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
- 2 fried eggs, cooked to “over medium” (optional)
Instructions
- Remove the stems and thick spines from the kale and wash, drain and pat dry thoroughly.
- Chop or tear the kale into bite-sized pieces, (or slice into thin ribbons) place into a large mixing bowl and set aside.
- Slice (or dice) the Andouille sausage and sauté in a frying pan on medium-high heat in 2 teaspoons of fat/oil. Cook sausage for about 5-7 minutes or until much of the fat has been rendered and the sausage crisps up a bit.
- Add the mushrooms and onions and continue cooking for about 5 more minutes.
- Turn the heat to low and add the 1/4 cup of olive oil, the vinegar and the salt and pepper and stir for a few seconds until heated through.
- Pour the warm Andouille sausage dressing over the kale and toss to combine.
- Serve immediately
I’ve had this bookmarked since you posted it and finally made it today, it was delicious! I will be making it regularly, I am sure. I am definitely a fan of the eggs-on-top version 🙂
Yay! So glad to hear that. I’ll let G know that there’s at least one more vote for the egg on top version.
I’ve made a kale salad with eggs over medium myself, but the warm sausage dressing just kicks this dish up to a 14 on a scale of 1 to 10! Thanks you so much for sharing this one on Chowstalker! Patty
I made this breakfast this morning and it was delicious. It left me satisfied and full of energy until lunch time. What a great recipe. I’m passing it on to my paleo peeps!
Mary,
I glad you liked it. This kale salad is one of my favorites. The kale that I grew in my garden last year made it especially good. I just planted some “dinosaur kale” the other day and it will be fun to try it with this recipe too.
Lea
Lea, we couldn’t find kale in Chico this weekend so we bought some from seed. I can hardly wait to grow our own.
I will try this recipe out in the next couple of days. Have to find out what kale is called in Australia.
Rowan,
Kale is sometimes called “Tuscan Cabbage” or “Lacinato” or “Cavolo Nero”. Do those sound familiar?
Lea
Im from Aus and the sell it in coles and safeway, ive never known it to be called anything other than kale
Delicious! I had everything on hand except andouille. The chorizo substitution was amazing! I just finished my first breakfast with this recipe and I am already excited about breakfast tomorrow Thanks for the recipe!
You’re welcome. And I kinda recently rediscovered this favorite again and made it for my family over the holidays. They loved it too. Thanks for your comment.