Sometimes, I’ll look at a recipe and will know right away that it will be a hit with readers. This is one of those recipes.
It has some buzzy “superfood” ingredients like kale and pomegranate seeds. It’s vegan, which means that pretty much everyone can eat it, and it’s a side dish, which means that no one will complain about the lack of protein (animal or otherwise). It’s super-fast to prepare (more time for running). And before I even made it, I knew it would be delicious.
I knew because the recipe was from Michael Solomonov, chef and owner of Zahav (in Philadelphia, US), where I enjoyed one of my favourite meals of 2013. Solomonov is a runner himself: He started about five years ago when he was trying to quit smoking and has run a few half-marathons since. He’s hoping to tackle his first marathon in spring.
He’s not the only one at Zahav who runs – in fact, most of his employees are active. “All of us have committed to running a couple times a month together,” Solomonov says. “Restaurant employees are known for drinking and staying out ’til all hours, and if you can change the culture, it’s only good.”
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Kale Tabbouleh with Walnuts, Apples, and Pomegranate
By Chef/Owner of Philadelphia’s Zahav and partner at CookNSolo Restaurants, Michael Solomonov
What you’ll need
- 2 cups of kale leaves, minced, with the stems removed
- ½ cup of red onions, finely diced
- 2 granny smith apples, diced with the skin on
- 1 cup of walnuts, lightly toasted and ground fine
- The seeds of 2 pomegranates
- 2 tbsp of lemon juice
- 2 tbsp of olive oil
- ½ tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
- Kosher salt to taste
How to make it
In a large stainless steel bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly and season to taste with salt.
Divide onto 4 plates and serve immediately. Goes really well with hearty fish such as salmon or tuna.
