Chopped Kale Thai Salad with Basil

I find myself on Pinterest often pinning away thousands of ideas from fellow food-bloggers and foodie websites. But in all honesty, I don't try the great majority of them. Perhaps Pinterest Fail comes to mind, or perhaps recipe overload causes me to forget which recipes look best and they just end up filed away on my Savory board. To stop the pinning-and-forgetting madness, I've decided that once a week I am making a meal based off of something I liked on Pinterest.
This week I put my own spin on the Chopped Thai Salad with Sesame and Garlic Dressing by Pinch of Yum. Often I try to replicate a recipe exactly as written before I add my own riff, but sometimes I don't want to put off a recipe if I have most ingredients already on hand. I had most ingredients already in the fridge for this recipe, so I was ready to go. The result was absolutely fantastic!
Chopped Kale Thai Salad with Basil
Ingredients:
1/3 c. olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. sambal chili sauce or sriracha
1 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. fish sauce (can sub additional soy sauce)
1 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1-inche piece of lemongrass, smashed
juice of half a lime
12 oz. frozen shelled edamame
1 medium head kale, chopped (about 6 cups)
3 large carrots, peeled + chopped
3 green onions, sliced white + green parts
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 c. cilantro, chopped
1/4 c. Thai basil, chopped (can sub regular basil)
Directions:
In a jar with a tight fitting lid, place first ten ingredients (through lime juice). Tighten lid and shake vigorously until dressing is mixed well. Place in refrigerator while preparing vegetables. Dressing can be made up to 24 hours early.
Thaw edamame according to package directions (do not overcook!). Drain well.
In large bowl, combine edamame, kale, carrots, green onions, bell pepper and herbs.
Remove vinaigrette from refrigerator, shake jar well. Pour over greens and vegetables and toss to coat evenly. Discard the lemongrass piece before serving. Serve immediately.
