Raw kale makes a fantastic salad with more texture and flavor than most salads made with mixed greens. The trick is slicing the kale thinly so the leaves aren't tough and chewy. And don't be shy about the dressing-i use more dressing on kale salads than i do on regular salads since the kale soaks it up without getting soggy. Try to grate the cheese as thinly as possible for this salad. A microplane grater works great for this, or use the small holes on your box grater. Use a hard cheese with a salty, nutty flavor like parmigiano-reggiano, grana padano, dry jack or any type of pecorino. Tuscan kale (also called lacinato, cavalo nero, black, and dinosaur) is used most often for raw salads. Tuscan kale has a dark green color and textured leaves. It tends to be more tender than varieties of kale with curly leaves, however, don't let this discourage you from trying curly kale raw. Dress the salad and then let it sit in the fridge for an hour or so. The longer it sits, the more tender the leaves will become. Kale is thought to be a nutritional powerhouse and a good source of vitamins a, c and k, and copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus.