Sounds fancy, looks fancy but is oh so simple to make! This easy side dish is sure to impress your guests this holiday season!
I’m always on the look out for a good salad, or at least one with lots of fun and exciting ingredients! Which is why when I got the brilliant idea to put roasted grapes on a salad, I knew I just HAD to try it! And I’m so glad that I did! This roasted grape prosciutto and kale salad is one of the best salads I’ve made yet loves! And it’s so easy and perfect for the holidays too!
Ingredients
- Roasted grapes: Directions for roasting are below!
- Prosciutto: Can be replaced with bacon. (Although it will have a slightly different taste.)
- Goat cheese
- Kale
- Toasted pecans: Completely optional but are definitely delicious! (To toast the pecans: Spread 1 cup of pecans out on a baking sheet that’s been lined with parchment paper and bake them at 375 degrees for 6-7 minutes.)
- Maple-balsamic dressing: Can be store bought or homemade. (See the recipe below for my simple homemade dressing!)
How to make roasted grapes
Why roast your grapes you ask? Well besides making this salad look super fancy, roasting the grapes also helps to bring out their natural sweetness too! And they’re so easy to make!
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Place your grapes on the sheet and roast them for 15-20 minutes or just until a few of them start to burst.
- Let them cool completely before adding them to your salad.
How easy was that right?!
What kind of grapes should I use?
I love using black or red seedless grapes for this recipe. Green grapes can have a slightly tart/sour taste to them which wouldn’t pair very well with the other flavors in this salad. Black/red grapes are much sweeter and much prettier when roasted too! 😉
What is prosciutto?
Think of prosciutto as “bacon’s fancier cousin” because essentially that’s really what it is. It’s salty like bacon, it crisps up like bacon but the main difference between the two is that prosciutto is actually made to be eaten raw due to it’s curing process. (Yep that’s right! Believe it or not, it’s sooo good when wrapped around melons and drizzled with a little lemon juice and honey.) But for this recipe I needed a little crispy crunchy factor, so fried crispy prosciutto is where I went!
Now that I think about it, prosciutto doesn’t have quite as strong of a flavor that bacon does too. It’s much more mild which makes it the perfect addition to this roasted grape kale salad!
Interested in learning more about how prosciutto & bacon are different? Check out this article from MasterClass!
How to crisp up your prosciutto
The easiest way I found to make my prosciutto nice and crispy is to simple saute it in a pan much like you would with bacon. No need to cut it into pieces first, just the long slices as they come and crumble them over your salad later!
- Heat a pan over medium high heat and spray it with non-stick cooking spray once its hot.
- Add your prosciutto slices to the pan but don’t overlap/overcrowd them. (You might need to work in batches.) Cook for 1-2 minutes (or until the prosciutto turn golden brown), then flip the slices and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Let them cool on a tray lined with paper towels until you’re ready to use them.
*Note: The prosciutto slices will crisp up more as they cool!
How to massage kale
If you know nothing else about kale, here’s the ONE THING that you should know… MASSAGE YOUR KALE people! Raw kale can be incredibly tough but by massaging it we’re able to break down the kale’s toughness and make it more tender and easier to eat. (It also helps to bring out it’s natural delicate flavor too!) Here are a few easy steps on how to massage your kale below:
- Cut the kale leaves off the stem or “rib”. Then cut the leaves into bite sized pieces.
- Drizzle 1 Tbsp of your dressing over the kale. (Or you can use 1 Tbsp of olive oil instead but I like to “infuse” the kale with my salad dressing flavor.)
- Rub the kale together with your hands to fully incorporate the dressing/olive oil throughout. Do this for 5 minutes. (The kale should begin to soften and turn a bright vibrant green color. You’ll also notice that the amount of kale you have will “shrink” as well.)
- At this point, the kale can be stored in the fridge until your ready to make your salad.
I hope you all enjoy the roasted grape and prosciutto kale salad just as much as we did! It would be such a festive side dish to serve for the holidays this year!
More recipes you might like:
- Apple White Cheddar & Toasted Pecan Kale Salad
- Pear & Gorgonzola Salad with Candied Walnuts
- Apple Bacon & Cranberry Salad with Sweet Maple Vinaigrette
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
- Strawberry Kale Salad with Lemon Poppy Seed Dressing
[Made one of my recipes? Make sure to tag my social media @kalefornia_kravings – I love seeing what you create!]
Roasted Grape Prosciutto & Kale Salad with Maple-Balsamic Dressing
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of green kale, leaves cut off the stem & chopped
- 3 cups red or black seedless grapes
- 1 3 oz. package prosciutto slices
- 1 7 oz. package plain goat cheese, crumbled
- Toasted pecans: optional (directions for toasting are below)
For the maple-balsamic dressing:
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup
- 2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
Instructions
To make the dressing:
- Whisk all of your ingredients together in a bowl/jar and set it aside while you prepare the rest of your salad
To make the salad:
- Preheat your oven to 400 degrees and place your grapes in a baking dish. Roast them for 15-20 minutes or until a few grapes just begin to burst. Let them cool completely before adding them to your salad. (Cooling them in the fridge usually works the best!)
- While the grapes are roasting, cook your prosciutto slices in a pan for 3 minutes per side or until they're golden brown on both sides. (You might need to do this in a few batches.) Line a tray with paper towels and let the prosciutto cool once it's cooked. (The prosciutto will crisp up more as it cools.)
- Place your chopped kale leaves in a large bowl and massage them together with 1 Tbsp of your dressing for at least 5 minutes. (You can also drizzle a little olive oil over the leaves too to help with massaging.) Then add your roasted grapes, goat cheese and crumbled prosciutto and toss with the rest of your dressing. Top with toast pecans (if using) right before serving!
Notes
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread your pecans out on the baking sheet and bake for 5-6 minutes or until they just start to darken. Take them out of the oven to cool and store them in an airtight container until you’re ready to eat.
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