Snappy Salads - Lemony Kale Salad

This catchy title from MindBodyGreen immediately caught my attention: “A Salad That Makes Even the Skeptics Fall in Love With Kale.” And just like that, I had my next salad inspiration.

I took this for lunch last week, and I’m not being clichéd when I say—I licked this salad clean. Yes. This is hands down the best kale salad I’ve tried so far. And in the process of making it, I also discovered just how beautifully kale’s natural flavors can be brought forward.

The secret to making the perfect kale salad is simple: massage the kale. Use your bare hands. I think what makes kale salads so satisfying is that you truly use your senses while preparing them. No tongs, no fancy equipment—just roll up your sleeves and use your fingers to press, rub, and work the leaves, with or without dressing.

This massaging process apparently breaks down the cellulose in the kale leaves, making them soft and pliable. Once that happens, the leaves absorb dressing and other flavors much more easily. I already had a bit of a kale “fetish” thanks to the many green smoothies I’ve been drinking, but this salad took my love for kale to an entirely new level.

Note: The pictures don’t quite do justice to how delicious this salad is. The fact that I didn’t slice the onions probably didn’t help its visual appeal either. But trust me—this is absolutely worth trying. You will start to love kale.
Oh, and did I mention this salad pairs surprisingly well with Indian dishes too?

Enough gushing—here’s the recipe.

Serves: 2–3
Prep Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Lacinato kale (also called Tuscan or Dinosaur kale)
• Juice of 1–2 lemons
• 3–6 cloves garlic, crushed
• ½ cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • I used red onion, finely chopped, and it worked just as well—use whichever you prefer based on how strong you like the onion flavor
• Olive oil, to taste
• Balsamic vinegar, to taste
• ½ tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp black pepper

Method

Thinly slice the onion.

In a bowl, combine the crushed garlic with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Add the sliced onions to this mixture, drizzle generously with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, mix well, and set aside to marinate.

Strip the kale leaves off the stems (you can check out Marin Mama Cooks’ video on prepping kale if needed). Tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces and add them to a large salad bowl.

Squeeze the juice of one lemon directly onto the kale. Now begin massaging the leaves, rubbing them together or using whatever technique feels natural. Make sure the leaves are well coated. You’ll notice the kale reducing in volume and becoming softer and smoother.

Taste a leaf at this point. If it still feels bitter, add more lemon juice and continue massaging until the flavor turns bright and lemony.

Heat a skillet and add the pumpkin seeds. You can dry-roast them or add a little coconut oil if you prefer. Once they turn golden, remove from heat and allow them to cool.

Add the marinated onions to the kale bowl, followed by the cooled pumpkin seeds. Massage the salad once more to ensure everything is well coated. Adjust seasoning as needed—add more salt, pepper, oil, or lemon until you hit that perfect balance.

I had planned to save some leftovers, but the salad was gone long before dinner rolled around. The original recipe notes that this salad actually gets better with time, as the citrus and kale flavors deepen overnight in the fridge. Sadly, we didn’t have any left to test that theory—but I suppose that’s a good problem to have.