Salad can be delicious when it's served warm, and these Wilted Greens with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Raisins are a perfect example!
Here I am, for the second week in a row, posting a recipe for a warm salad. I guess the fact that it's served warm, technically disqualifies it from being a salad at all, since every definition I could find classifies a salad as "cold" or "raw".
But since it is leafy greens tossed with a vinaigrette, I'm probably not ever going to stop thinking of these Wilted Greens with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Raisins as a warm salad.
The crazy thing about cooking, or even just slightly warming or wilting leafy greens like we're doing here, is how much they cook down. When I filled the skillet in these pictures with dressed arugula and kale, it was overflowing.
Then after just a few minutes under the broiler, they had wilted down so much that the skillet was practically empty. And then I went ahead and ate what was previously a giant bowl full of greens all to myself.
If you're sick of your standard leafy green salads, I highly recommend this wilted version. The combination of sweet raisins, salty cheese, and sour vinaigrette, plus crunchy hazelnuts makes this dish irresistible - to me at least. Every time I have it, I can hardly believe that a pile of arugula and kale can be so tasty.
Want more leafy greens recipes?
Wilted Greens with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Raisins Nutrition Notes:
The nutrition information in the recipe below is for a small side or appetizer-sized portion (the recipe will serve 4). If you're splitting the recipe in two for a larger portion size, simply double all of the nutrition facts.
Wilted Greens with Parmesan, Hazelnuts, and Raisins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup raisins
- hot water
- 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 Tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups arugula or mizuna
- 2 cups kale, stemmed and chopped
- 1 medium beet, thinly sliced or grated
- ½ cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Move oven rack to the top middle position and turn on broiler to high.
- Pour hot water over raisins in a small bowl. Soak for at least 15 minutes, up to several hours until they are plump. Drain, and discard leftover water.
- Whisk together vinegar, salt and pepper in a large bowl. Continue whisking while adding olive oil in a slow, steady stream. Add arugula, kale and shredded beets and toss to coat.
- Transfer dressed greens to a medium skillet, lightly packing them in if needed. Sprinkle Parmesan evenly over the top of the greens and place under the broiler until cheese is melted and beginning to brown and greens are wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Top the wilted greens with the soaked raisins and chopped hazelnuts. Drizzle with Balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.
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