Mock Crab Kale Salad with Peanuts Recipe.

“Crab” Kale Salad

Mock crab and kale complement each other and make a fabulous match.

Mock Crab Kale Salad is equally at home as a first course and a main course. And mock crab, also called kani, is such a fun ingredient. Mock crab kale salad is just one way of showcasing it. Try it in my Thai summer rolls or in my mock crab cakes, to mention just two more great favorites.

Kale in salads

I love to make salads with kale, as kale leaves are hearty and sturdy and do not wilt!

You need not worry about what to do with leftovers, even if you eat them the next day: the kale will be just about as bright and crisp as when you just made it.

I am going Asian with this salad: so much fun, such an exciting flavor and texture lineup. And best of all: EASY! Be sure to toss in the peanuts Just before serving for maximum crunch!

Fresh seaweed

I love the clean briny flavor it imparts. Fresh seaweed is increasingly easy to procure. I buy it at any sushi take out counter. this and the mock crab: You’re doubling up on the umami flavors!

I find organic Kale much more delicious and easier to eat than the conventional one: More leaf, no curls, less rib and ideally dark and nourishing. In a pinch, use pre-washed baby kale leaves.

Massage your kale!

Kale is so lucky: It gets a massage each time before it gets eaten! Don’t skip this easy and brief massaging step: the dressing penetrates the leaves and tenderizes them.

Ingredients

• Salad 
• 2 bunches organic kale, ribs removed (save them for a broth), leaves sliced thin
• 1 1/2 pounds frozen mock crab (also called Kani), thawed, chunks or strips, flaked
• 2 ribs celery, peeled and sliced thin
• Corn kernels from 3 fresh ears, or 1 cup frozen and thawed (no canned corn please)
• 1 cup fresh seaweed (it might be labeled "Fresh Seaweed Salad")
• 6 scallions, sliced very thin
• 6-8 sprigs cilantro, leaves only (non-cilantro lovers: use parsley, minced)
• 2/3 cup roasted peanuts, or other nuts or seeds (if you think you won't be using the whole salad on serving day, save some salad without nuts or seeds, so it will keep well)
• 2 avocados, diced (if you think you won't be using the whole salad on serving day, save some salad without avocado, so it will keep well)

• Dressing
• 1/3 cup toasted sesame oil
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce or aminos (or anchovy paste: Don't recoil: It's fantastic!)
• 2-3 tablespoons Sriracha Sauce
• 2 tablespoons freshly grated ginger

Instructions