Massaged Kale Salad
According to the interwebs, kale is among the healthiest foods on the planet. This “superfood” can be found in everything from quesadillas to fritters to pizza. There are even “superfood” juice bars sprouting up all over my city. I have even posted a recipe for Kale Caesar Salad. Yes, from its humble beginnings as a mere garnish in most medium priced restaurants, this cruciferous variety of cabbage has had a meteoric rise to the star of the dinner plate. And while kale is a low fat, high fiber food that is full of just about every vitamin and mineral, I have a confession to make…
I find kale unfit to eat. Blasphemous, I know. In my humble opinion, kale in its raw state can be quite fibrous and leathery with a bitter, distinctive earthy-flavor similar to dirt. Now some of you are secretly nodding your heads in agreement while others are saying “How can you not like kale? What is your problem? It is a superfood. Superfoods are essential. Superfoods are cool, hip, and sexy. Everyone is eating kale! Don’t you think you should eat kale too?”
Well to be honest, I bend to peer-pressure quite easily. I have always wanted to be part of the “in” crowd. Some poor choices in high-school and college are evidence of that. However, I do want to be cool, hip, and sexy. I want to eat superfoods. I want to eat and like kale. But, I have been a poser silently chewing my soil flavored greens desperately wanting to be like everyone else…until now.
Let me introduce my MASSAGED KALE SALAD. Come to find out all you need to make kale edible is a firm hand and a flavorful dressing. By vigorously kneading the dressing into the tough leaves, you get a tender, delicious salad full of nutritional goodness. So, head into the kitchen and whip up my latest delicious vegan recipe. Bend to the peer-pressure and soon you will be hanging with the “in” crowd for all the right reasons. Enjoy!
Oil-Free / Soy-Free / Gluten-Free
Ingredients
- Dressing
- 1 Ripe Avocado
- 1 Garlic Clove
- 1 1/4 Cups Water
- 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
- 1 Tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1/2 Tsp Onion Powder
- 1 Tbs Agave Syrup
- Salt & Pepper to your taste
- Salad
- 1 Cup Quinoa
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth
- 2 Large Bunches of Kale
- 1/2 Cup Pine Nuts
- 2 Large Pears (sliced)
- 1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
Instructions
Cook the quinoa in the vegetable broth according to the directions on the package. Once cooked, fluff with a fork and save for later. While the quinoa is cooking, remove the stems from your washed kale. You can mince the stems up and add them to the salad if you like, but I left mine out. Tear up the leaves of kale and put them in a large mixing bowl.
Using a blender or a food processor, blend together all the ingredients for the dressing. Pour this dressing over the kale leaves. With immaculately clean hands, get in there and massage the dressing into the kale leaves. It will take some time (about 2-3 minutes) but soon the leaves will turn shiny and become tender. Now toss in your cooked quinoa, mix well, and plate the salad. Top each salad with pine nuts, cranberries, and slices of pear.
https://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/massaged-kale-salad/That’s all there is to it. A delicious kale salad worthy enough to be served in any trendy restaurant. Who said peer-pressure is a bad thing? Now go be cool, hip, and sexy! Eat your KALE!
Longer Letter Later,
Love Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
I share the opinion that kale is unfit to eat. However, since it is your recipe I am going to give it a try.
Thanks for standing up with me; however, I think you will enjoy this recipe. Let me know how it goes.