This a wonderful salad to accompany an asian meal or a nice lunch salad.  I love the sweetness of the pickled ginger with the miso.  The pineapple adds an extra bit of natural sweetness to the salad and the toasted ramen a bit of crunch.  The entire salad comes together quickly and is a colorful addition to any meal. if you like a salad coated in more dressing, you can always double the recipe.  I have suggested that you massage the kale for this salad.  It is not an essential step, but I find that it makes the leaves tender and much more enjoyable to eat in the salad.

Serves 4 as side salad

Ingredients:

for salad:

  • 8 cups, stemmed and washed, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups shaved napa cabbage
  • 3 cups shaved red cabbage
  • 1 small bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
  • 3 scallions, thinly sliced
  • 1 package ramen noodles
  • 1 tablespoon black sesame seeds

for dressing:

  • 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon white miso
  • 1 tablespoon finely chopped picked ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 teaspoons honey (more if you like a sweeter dressing)
  • freshly ground pepper to taste
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1/2 package ramen noodles
  • 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil (or other mild flavored vegetable oil)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350. Break up noodles in small bits.  Place on baking sheet and toast the noodles for about 15 minutes until golden.  Remove from oven and allow to cool.  Before placing kale in your serving dish, rub the leaves in between your fingers and gently massage the leaves to help break down the cellulose and wilt the leaves a bit.  You will notice the leaves turn a bright green color and tenderize as you work with it.  Add remaining ingredients to the salad and toss to combine, sprinkling sesame seeds on last.  In a mixing cup, combine all ingredients for salad dressing together and whisk to combine.  If dressing is a bit thick, you can dilute with a bit of water as needed.  Toss salad in dressing and serve immediately and enjoy!