It has been excruciatingly hot here in NYC, pushing 90 degrees with extreme humidity. This heat wave has made the idea of cooking nearly nauseating… but for the sake of the blog, I turned on the ol’ oven this weekend and cooked up some croutons for a delicious and filling tuscan kale salad. Thankfully the croutons were the only ingredient in this recipe that required any cooking at all… otherwise I may not have lived to write this post.

For one serving you will need:
3 large handfuls of washed kale (I used red kale), removed from the stems and ripped into bite sized pieces
1/3 cup cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1/4 cup asiago or parmesan cheese, crumbled
2 tbsp slivered or sliced almonds
Handful of croutons (preferably homemade — instructions here)
White wine vinegar
Olive oil
Salt + pepper to taste

Put the kale and a pinch of salt in a large salad bowl, “massage” (as if you were rubbing the kale’s shoulders) the kale for 5 or so minutes, or until tender and slightly wilted.

Add the beans, cheese, almonds & croutons and toss together. Dress with a little olive oil and white wine vinegar, and season with salt & pepper to taste.

Done! Enjoy!