Fall Fig & Apple Salad

I am not the worst at vegetables.  I’m definitely not the best at them, but I do alright.  We’re friends.  But I have to admit, sometimes, believe it or not, I don’t feel like putting a lot of effort into cooking for just me (hey hi hello, I am human and sometimes cooking feels like a chore).  And those are the moment I wind up eating a really big pile of raw baby spinach and mashed potatoes for dinner and then feeling REAL weird about it.

Salads are one of those meals that can sometimes feel like a chore to put together.  I’m  a MAJOR sucker for those extremely bougie salads every restaurant has now, with a million expensive ingredients and a dressing that involves champagne at LEAST 40% of the time.  I’m so here for it.  What I’m so NOT here for is putting the work in at home to a) ensure I have a million fancy, obscure ingredients and b) prep all those things, only to wind up with a salad at the end.  I’m sorry, but that’s just fundamentally less rewarding than a baked good that takes a lot of work, or a braised meat that’s been in the works for hours on end.  Maybe it’s because salads don’t smell like anything when they’re ready.  Taste is 90% smell, right?

BUT this salad is not much work at ALL, for a hell of a lot of flavor reward.  I’m not lying to ya even a little bit– I made this on my lunch break, and the only advance step I took was pickling some shallots last night.  Not gonna lie, I’m pretty darn pleased with my lunch improv skills today.  Half the time when I get home for lunch and have no plan for what I’m going to eat, I wind up grazing on a motley crew of odds and ends from the depths of my fridge.  But today was a major win.

This salad is SO FLAVORFUL and fall-y (seriously, has this been added to the dictionary yet) and it’s healthy and I’m so excited for another human being besides me to eat it.  So here, now you have a lunch plan for tomorrow.  You can thank me later.

Fall Fig & Apple Salad

• Large handful of Kale, shredded
• Balsamic Vinegar
• Salt & Pepper
• Quick-Pickled Shallots
• Figs, halved
• Apple, diced (I’m partial to crispy, tart ones– Cortland or Empire, at the moment)
• Pecorino (til I die)
• Pecans, toasted if you’ve got em (and if you don’t, start making toasting nuts and keeping them in empty Talenti jars a part of your lifestyle.  I don’t wanna be the only one…)

Toss kale with a drizzle of balsamic and salt and pepper to taste.  Mix with all other ingredients.  I use Food & Wine‘s recipe for pickling shallots– it takes about two seconds, and in case the above didn’t already make this abundantly clear, I’m all about easy and lazy.  Devour while your cat stares at you, waiting for a snack he’s never gonna get.

This salad would make an excellent work lunch– because kale is quite sturdy, you could even dress the kale in the morning and it won’t be soggy by midday.  If you’re going to go that route, I would refrain from adding the toasted pecans until you’re actually going to eat (and also hold off on the apple if brown apples make you squeamish).

I realize I only blog things I liked eating and think other people will also enjoy, but seriously, this salad is delicious and you should make it, stat.  I say that about everything. I know.  But have I ever steered you wrong?  I bet I haven’t.  I am excellent at giving advice.

We just won’t talk about the taking it aspect.