If you’re looking for new leafy green recipes, this cavolo nero salad with tomatoes and fried garlic oil is super delicious and simple to make. Cavolo nero is also known as Tuscan cabbage or black kale, and it’s fantastic for making a nutrient-dense side dish or salad.
In case my cavolo nero salad sounds a little fancy and exotic, let me reassure you that it’s not. Think of it as a simple and tasty kale salad. It’s packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including lutein, vitamins A, C, K, fibre, calcium, manganese and iron, so it’s a great little side dish for a weeknight dinner.
What Is Cavolo Nero?
Cavolo nero (cabbage) is also known as black kale, Tuscan kale or Tuscan cabbage, and you’ve guessed correctly, it’s related to kale. In fact, it’s kale’s Italian cousin. And while it’s a very common vegetable in Italian cooking, cavolo nero isn’t used as much elsewhere. That’s not to say that it’s not easily available. I often see cavolo nero in supermarkets, especially in season.
In essence, cavolo nero is very similar to kale. Its leaves are longer and darker, and I personally think it’s a very pretty leafy green. You can use it in soups and stews like the Italians do, sauté it in some butter and lemon juice as you would with spinach, or use it raw in a salad or a smoothie. Try my cavolo nero and corn fritters here.
How To Prepare Raw Cavolo Nero
Similarly to kale, raw cavolo nero has very fibrous, firm leaves compared to say spinach. As such, if you plan to eat it raw, you need to give it a good massage to soften the fibres and make it easier to chew and digest. I usually drizzle it with a little lemon juice and sprinkle some salt, then massage the leaves with my hands until they are bruised and wet.
What Can I Use Instead Of Cavolo Nero?
If you can’t get your hands on cavolo nero for this recipe, use regular kale or Swiss chard instead.
This salad is great with pretty much any protein but I especially love it with some roasted chicken, pan-fried duck or fish.
More Recipes With Leafy Greens
Description
This cavolo nero salad with tomatoes and fried garlic is simple and quick to prepare. Kale or Swiss chard can be used instead in this recipe. Serve with your favourite piece of meat or as a vegetable side dish on the table.
- Shake off excess water from the cavolo nero leaves and slice thinly on a chopping board. Drizzle all over with lemon juice and sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, massage the lemon and salt into the chopped leaves. This will help to soften the kale. Transfer to a platter or leave on a chopping board, whichever way you like to present it.
- Scatter tomatoes over the top.
- Heat a small frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and thinly sliced garlic, sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Cook over low-medium heat, as to not burn the oil too much, and stir frequently, for about 1-2 minutes. As soon as the garlic starts to change colour to golden yellow, remove it from the heat. Scatter the fried garlic over the salad and then drizzle the hot, garlicky oil over the top.
Notes
For the AIP version, Remove tomatoes; you could use some avocado, radish or cucumber instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Half of the salad
- Calories: 281
- Sugar: 4.1 g
- Sodium: 597.3 mg
- Fat: 28.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 4.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
- Fiber: 2.4 g
- Protein: 2.3 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Keywords: Cavolo Nero, Tuscan Cabbage, Black Kale, Leafy Greens, Salad
Very Incredible Basil Sauce Recipe
Punchy, salty, bright green sauce packed with fresh basil, chives, garlic, and a bit of oregano. This sauce can be poured out just about anything!
This creamy basil sauce is going on EV-ER-Y-THING in my life: sandwiches, eggs, grilled chicken and veggies, dipped with chips?! It’s so good, packed with green goodness, it’s beautifully summery, and I’m doing the most with it.
In This Post:
The main thing:
Other stuff:
How To Make This Basil Sauce
Step 1: Get All Your Ingredients Ready
You can use a blender, food processor, or a mini-chopper-type gadget. I love this mini-chopper (affiliate link). It’s not meant for sauces necessarily, but I use it all the time because it’s super compact.
Step 2: Blend Your Basil Sauce
That’s it! Just blend, taste, and adjust!
This sauce can be a bit chunky / textured, so keep it going until it has the consistency you want. I prefer something right before completely pureed – where it has just barely noticeable flecks of herbs, but it’s mostly smooth and creamy.
Step 3: Put It On All Your Yummy Things
Like so. (Here’s that recipe.)
Lindsay’s Notes
Ooh baby. Basil, chives, garlic, and a tiny hit of oregano all in a creamy, salty, bright green sauce – I love this so much.
The first time I made this, my toddler (who mostly just eats crackers) found a spatula and just sat at the counter licking the remnants of the sauce out of the blender with me. And I hear that from a lot of people – many kids seem to be very into this for unknown reasons. Sometimes it just hits right, ya know? A+ for that experience.
My favorite thing about this sauce, besides that it tastes like heaven, is that makes healthy-ish eating something I really, actually look forward to.
Baked salmon goes up about 100 notches in my book when smothered in this creamy green sauce. Same goes for shrimp, chicken, and a big fresh salad or lots of roasted veggies.
This will not be the last we see of this sauce, which is why I decided to give it its own post on POY. Welcome home, little basil sauce.
Things You Could Put It On
The possibilities! They are endless.
Description
Punchy, salty, bright green sauce packed with fresh basil, chives, garlic, and a bit of oregano. This sauce can be poured out just about anything!
- Place all your sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor. (I use this mini chopper for the vast majority of my sauces because it’s nice and compact!)
- Blend until you get your desired consistency – I usually go for an almost-completely-smooth texture that is flecked with small bits of herbs.
Notes
Taste and adjust! More lemon juice will wake it up, Parmesan adds more umami and saltiness, and if it gets too salty for you, add a bit more mayo to dilute the pungency a bit!
Keywords: basil sauce, basil dressing
Recipe Card powered byFrequently Asked Questions For Basil Sauce
What can I use instead of mayo?I’ve seen some people on Instagram say they used Greek yogurt and liked it. I haven’t made it this way and I know I wouldn’t like it with Greek yogurt because it’s so tangy and has a different flavor. BUT, if you’re okay with it being a bit different than the original, I think Greek yogurt could work!
I have an egg allergy – what can I use?Vegan mayo has no eggs and tastes great! That’s what I’d use!
How long does the basil sauce last?I usually keep it in the fridge for 3-5 days.
Can you make this vegetarian / vegan?Yes! Use vegan mayo and vegan Parmesan! If you can’t find vegan Parmesan, just throw in a bit of extra salt to compensate for the change in flavor. And if you don’t want to use vegan mayo, try using an avocado like we did in this avocado mojo sauce.
Can you freeze this basil sauce?I would not recommend freezing this.
More Of My Favorite Sauce Recipes
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Nutrition Facts
Amount per serving
- Calories N/A
- Total Fat N/A
- Saturated Fat N/A
- Cholesterol N/A
- Sodium N/A
- Total Carbohydrates N/A
- Protein N/A
Hi, I'm Alex!
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