Tortellini Kale Salad with Crispy Salami & Garlic Vinaigrette
This main dish salad tosses hearty kale, almonds, chickpeas, and salami with our Tri Color Tortellini and a delicate vinaigrette made with our Creamy Garlic Sauce.
Ingredients
Garlic Vinaigrette
6 tablespoons Armanino Garlic Sauce
4 teaspoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salad
1 lb Armanino Tri Color Tortellini, cooked and cooled
1 bunch kale, stems removed and discarded (about 1 pound)
3 oz sliced hard salami, ⅛” thick from the deli counter
¾ cup canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
⅓ cup coarsely chopped smoked almonds
¼ cup shaved parmesan
Directions
For the vinaigrette: Add all the vinaigrette ingredients to a glass jar with a tight fitting lid and shake until well combined. Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated until needed. Let come to room temperature before using.
For the salad: cook the tortellini according to the package directions, drain and let cool until needed.
Cut the salami into thin batons, about ⅛” thick.
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and sauté the salami until crispy yet still pliable about 4-5 minutes. Keep an eye on them toward the end as they’ll go from perfect to burnt quickly.
Transfer to a paper towel lined plate to drain off any excess oil.
Tear the kale into bite sized pieces and toss with the vinaigrette in a large bowl, massaging the kale to fully coat.
Add the cooked tortellini, chickpeas and chopped almonds. Toss to combine. Top with the crispy salami and shaved parmesan. Serve.
Make ahead: the salad will hold well for several hours though the salami will lose some its crispiness if left to sit – save that to garnish at the last moment. Give a quick toss just before serving.
Chef’s Tips
For a tasty – and economical – addition to the vinaigrette, replace some of the olive oil with the fat rendered from crisping up the salami. It’s a touch salty so keep that in mind when seasoning.
Use a vegetable peeler to peel nice, long shavings from a block of parmesan.
The recipe works best with a firmer type salami – hard salami or even pepperoni. A softer tyle, like Genoa, is rather fatty and doesn’t crisp up as nicely. You can also use prosciutto or bacon.
A grilled chicken breast or slices of grilled steak would be very nice and make this more of a main dish type of salad.
