Stuffed squash blossom kale salad is today’s recipe. Two varieties of red kale crowned with stuffed squash blossoms.
It’s so easy to get in a rut with your offerings of salad, so I decided to create something a little different, a salad that can stand on its own, a salad that will wow your guests, get them excited about what they’re about to eat.
Have you tried squash blossoms? They have a very mild squash taste. They’re delicate and when stuffed with goats cheese they’re delicious. Such a pretty salad – don’t you think?
Squash blossoms are delicate, so you will have to be careful when prepping and stuffing. You will need to remove the stamen from each squash blossom, by simply pushing your thumb and forefinger into the middle of the squash blossom and twisting the stamen away. Don’t worry, if you tear one or two of the squash blossoms during this process, the cream cheese can act as an adhesive, just remember to position the squash blossom torn side down when baking. The cheese will melt into the tear and keep everything together.
Here’s what the stuffed squash blossoms look like before going into the oven. All that is needed is a very light drizzle of olive oil.
Stuffed squash blossom kale salad is a wonderful salad. It captivates the eye, and the richness of the cream cheese, seasoned with garlic and lemon zest, is nicely offset by the two varieties of red kale, this is a wonderful combination of flavors.
Balsamic vinaigrette is a perfect dressing for the kale. I included some of the the cream cheese mixture to balance out the flavors. To avoid an over dressed salad, and soggy kale, add just add a little vinaigrette to the kale, and serve more vinaigrette on the side.
A little goes a long way with this salad. A serving should be no more than 2-3 stuffed squash blossoms with enough kale to offset the richness of the cream cheese. This dish is best served as a second course, all by itself, but don’t worry about how I feel, serve it how you like.
Stuffed Squash Blossom Kale Salad
Ingredients
Stuffed Squash Blossoms Ingredients
- 10-12 squash blossoms
- 6 oz cream cheese room temperature
- 1 tsp lemon zest
- 1/2 tsp garlic minced
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- pinch freshly ground black pepper
- Drizzle olive oil
Kale Sale Salad Ingredients
- 4-6 red kale leaves
- 1 1/2 cups micro red kale
Balsamic Vinaigrette
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1/3 cup grape seed oil
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp cream cheese mixture
Equipment & Utensils
- Baking tray
- Colander
- Food processor or blender
- Large round plate or bowl for serving
Instructions
- Carefully remove stamens in the middle of each squash blossom.
- Rinse squash blossoms, and set aside in a colander to drain off excess water.
- Place cream cheese, lemon zest, garlic, salt and pepper into a bowl and mix with a fork, making sure ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Pat off excess water from squash blossoms with a paper towel.
- Set aside 2 tbsp of the cheese mixture, then scoop the rest into resealable bag and cut the tip off one corner.
- Carefully squeeze the cheese mixture out of resealable bag to fill each squash blossom..
- Do not overfill, you want to leave the ends of the squash blossom, so that you can twist them together, as they were prior to prepping.
- Place stuffed squash blossoms onto a baking tray and drizzle with a little olive oil.
- Place in a preheated oven at 400 and bake for 10 mins.
- While squash blossoms are baking, wash kale and drain, then set aside.
- Place balsamic vinegar, grape seed oil, honey and cream cheese mixture into a food processor or blender, and blend on low until ingredients are thoroughly combined.
- Make sure there are no cream cheese lumps, then set aside.
- Slice red kale leaves into 1 inch pieces and discard hardy stems at base.
- Arrange in a ring around the edge of your plate or bowl.
- Fill the center of the ring with micro red kale.
- Drizzle kale with a little of the balsamic dressing.
- Squash blossoms should have begun to crisp, if not, raise heat to 425 for 3-5 mins.
- Remove squash blossoms from oven and arrange in a circle on top of the kale.
- Serve immediately with balsamic vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
