Recipes, Salads & Soups

Copycat Emerald Kale Salad

This copycat Emerald Kale Salad is my version of Houston’s Emerald Kale Salad! This salad is loaded with tons of fresh herbs, cabbage, kale, and a homemade peanut vinaigrette. This salad is anything but boring. Enjoy!

Whether you call the restaurant Hillstone’s or Houston’s you’re bound to know how delicious their food is. From the rosemary focaccia appetizer to the fish sandwich, everything on the menu is delicious. Enter this Emerald Kale Salad. They do have a kale salad with a buttermilk dressing as well, so not to confuse you. However, this kale salad has a peanut vinaigrette and ever since the last time I’ve had it, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about it! Just like I made a Copycat Sweetgreen Harvest Bowl, you know I had to attempt and make a Copycat Emerald Kale Salad of my own!

ingredients for a kale salad: kale, cilantro, mint, cabbage, peanuts, parmesan cheese

Just the other day I was talking about ‘eating more veggies’ with a patient. Their response was that they didn’t like vegetables. I’m always going to call people out. Rather than think about the veggies they don’t like, consider the veggies you DO like. And if you’re not sure how to prepare the veggie, then it’s time to experiment and have fun! Prepare the veggies in different ways to see which way you might like it best. Kale chips, kale salad (like this one!), sautéed kale, or added in to this lentil soup, the possibilities are endless. What’s your favorite way to eat kale? Maybe this salad will be the one!

Ingredients – Emerald Kale Salad

Lacinato Kale – aka Dinosaur Kale is best in this salad. Curly kale can work too, but here locally in the grocery stores, the curly kale is already cut up and includes a ton of stems. You can cut the Lacinato kale with the stems here, but it won’t leave as many as the bags of curly kale have. We’re aiming to have as many leaves as possible. The key with making the kale tender? Massing the dressing into the leaves. This is key to not only having it taste good and less bitter, but also allowing for you to have a positive experience with kale.
Cabbage – Almost positive that Houston’s used either Savoy or Napa cabbage. In my recipe I used the pre-grated cabbage in a bag that they call ‘coleslaw’ in the stores. Use what is readily available. As you’re massing the kale you also massage the cabbage as well.
Cilantro – Lucky for me cilantro doesn’t taste like soap. This recipe has a ton of both cilantro and mint. And even if you think you won’t like as much as I write to include, go with it. The fresh herbs (no dried here) really help create a bright and vibrant flavor.
Mint – I recently added mint as an herb I’m growing. While I know fresh herbs are more expensive, believe me when I say it’s worth it. I used the clamshell of mint when I was recipe testing for two batches of this salad (well worth it) and now have since planted the herb.
Peanuts – Normally when it comes to nuts I go with the unsalted variety. The peanuts were buy one get one the other day at the grocery store and I bought one unsalted and one lightly salted. Having just a bit of sodium in this recipe still has it on the low-sodium side. However, if you’re watching your sodium and choose to have unsalted peanuts here, the salad will still taste great.
Roasted Peanut Oil – In recipe testing I used a tad of sesame oil in one version and in another version I used actual peanut butter (just a tad). However, I realized that using actual roasted peanut oil is what would make the flavor pop. And boy was I right! I’m not a fan of having too many oils in use as they can go rancid. However, if this is a salad you’ll be making often, it’s good to have on hand (I have a small bottle and it made enough for two vinaigrettes – I’m always rotating dressings/salads, so this works for me).

How To Make A Copycat Emerald Kale Salad

Make the Vinaigrette: Whisk together the vinegar, dijon mustard, and honey with a pinch of black pepper. Whisk in a pinch of red pepper flakes. Slowly stream in the roasted peanut oil while whisking constantly. You’ll need to shake/mix it well before using each time (gets thicker and is hard to stay emulsified – I even tried it in the blender and to no avail!)
Massage the dressing: Combine the shredded kale and cabbage in a large bowl. Drizzle on 1/4 cup of the peanut vinaigrette and use your hands (make sure they’re washed and clean!) to massage the dressing into the kale and cabbage, for about a minute or two. Let the greens sit for a few minutes.
Add the rest: After the greens have rested, add in the green onions, cilantro, mint, and Parmesan. Toss well.
Add in the peanuts. Drizzle on more dressing. I found that it did need more. If you’re not serving the salad all at once, it will keep well in the fridge for a few days. Store and then refresh with a bit more dressing each time you serve.
Serve and enjoy!