Melissa’s Warm Kale and Chorizo Salad

Ingredients

This recipe can be vegan swapping out chorizo for tofu and using vegan yoghurt.

To serve 2:

• 8 sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• 1 red onion, halved lengthways and peeled, root trimmed but left intact
• 150g soft chorizo picante sausage, skinned (or smoked tofu)
• 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
• 125g cooked spelt or mixed grains (you can use pre-cooked pouches available in supermarkets)
• 2 tablespoons Big Drop Sour (reserving the rest to drink along!)
• 50g goat’s milk yoghurt (or vegan yoghurt)
• 500g whole-leaf kale

If you can’t get any of these ingredients, please drop Melissa a message on any of the Big Drop social media channels and she’ll help you out.

Method

1. Strip your kale of its woody stems, discard stems and tear leaves into small pieces if desired, put in a bowl or on other board.
2. Cut the tip and the dangly roots off the onion, peel off the tough outer layers, leaving part of the root attached, cut your onion in half and then each half into finger-width crescents.
3. Take your lemon, cut in half, squeeze half the lemon’s juice into your jar or other receptacle and take a tbsp of the oil from the sun-dried tomato jar, seal lid on jar and shake, or whisk together. Put aside.
4. Take eight sun-dried tomatoes from the jar, and cut them into about 2cm strips (don’t worry if they’re thicker, it’s not a problem), put into a ramekin/bowl.
5. Take your chorizo sausages and gently split the skin open with a soft stroke of your knife, remove skin and make into bite-sized meatballs by rolling in your palms.
6. Wash your hands and then bring all your ingredients over to the stove, if you’re not beside it already!
7. Put your pan on a high heat and carefully place your onion slices into the pan, no oil is needed, you want them to char lightly, do this on both sides, take the pan off the hot hob whilst you place in a warmed bowl and put back in the oven and turn the heat down to medium.
8. Next, add your sunflower seeds to the pan and gently toast on both sides, put back into a ramekin.
9. Take your chorizo balls and brown them, doesn’t have to be all over, just get good browned colour on them as much as possible, place on top of onions and return to the oven.
10. Get a cloth or some kitchen towel and wipe out the worst of the char from the pan.
11. Add your grains, stir around a bit, season lightly and then add the beer, allow to absorb a little and then add the sun-dried tomatoes.
12. Once the liquid has almost disappeared, turn the heat right down and add the goat yoghurt, stir in, and if it’s totally dry, add another dash of beer before adding the kale. Put the lid on, stir occasionally as you tidy up a bit.
13. Once the kale is done to your liking, turn off the heat, get your serving bowl out, mix the kale and grain mix together thoroughly, and then add to the bowl, add half the dressing and mix, top with the chorizo and onion mix, drizzle with the rest of the vinaigrette, turn all the ingredients over a bit, sprinkle with the sunflower seeds and serve!