Kale Cobb Salad with Pickled Red Onions

I've learned something incredibly liberating recently when it comes to salad making: I'm not limited to Romaine, Iceberg, spinach or even a spring mix when it comes to salad base. I don't know why, but for years I thought to make a salad, I had to pick up a bag of lettuce, or if I was feeling extra fancy, a container of organic Romaine that I then chopped myself. It turns out that you aren't limited to the bag aisle at the grocery store and that every leafy green could turn into a fabulous salad. In my case, that fabulous salad is made with yummy, leafy, beautiful kale. 

Kale is having a moment, and it has been for a while, but what makes this salad different is taking your usual Cobb ingredients, kicking them up a notch, and piling them on top of kale. Definitely don't skimp and buy bagged kale - yuck - go for the good stuff, and grab organic if you can swing it. Once you have your kale base, pile on cherry tomatoes, a hard boiled egg, pancetta (versus ham or bacon), pickled onions for a bit of flair, and your favorite salad dressing. My choice? Blue cheese all the way. 

Have you ever tried your hand at pickled onions? I followed this recipe, and 15 minutes later, I had a delicious jar of pickled red onions. I can't wait to add these bad boys to everything.

What's your favorite leafy salad base? Any good green that I'm missing?