Seattle's Favorite Kale Salad

Ingredients

-1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
-1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
-2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
-salt and ground black pepper to taste
-5 cups water
-2 cups uncooked wild rice
-1 teaspoon butter
-4 cups finely sliced red cabbage
-2 large red bell peppers - seeded, cored, and chopped
-2 bulbs fennel, trimmed and chopped
-2 bunches kale, leaves stripped from stems and torn into pieces
-1/4 lemon, juiced, or to taste

Directions

Whisk 1/2 cup lemon juice, olive oil, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper together in a large bowl until dressing is smooth.
Bring water, wild rice, and butter to a boil in a saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender, 30 to 45 minutes. Drain excess liquid and cook uncovered until water is completely evaporated, about 5 minutes more. Stir rice and let cool slightly.
Combine cabbage, red bell peppers, and fennel in the bowl with dressing; toss to evenly coat. Place kale on top of the cabbage mixture and spoon warm wild rice over kale; let sit until kale is slightly wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. Toss until salad is evenly mixed, adding more lemon juice to taste.