Massaged Avocado Kale Salad

This salad will help almost anyone learn to love kale. An easy recipe that comes together in five minutes!

We all know we should be eating more dark leafy greens. But what do you do if you’re tired of green smoothies and can’t stand kale? Like, what if you hate kale? I have an answer.

Usually when someone says that they hate a food, it’s often due to a nasty childhood memory (eat your lima beans or no dessert!) or more generally because they have never had that food prepared in a way that they liked. I believe this is true of kale.

Kale can be a particularly challenging vegetable to become fond of because of the texture. The leaves are thick and often difficult to chew. Most grocery-store kale was not harvested yesterday (it’s got a longer shelf life than other leafy greens), so it may taste and feel tough in your mouth. The great thing is that there’s a solution to this! One small trick can help you transform tough kale into a lovely salad. Are you ready?

Massage your kale!

Kale is very fibrous. That’s great for our health, since most of us are not getting enough fiber. But it’s often not so enjoyable. So here’s what to do.

First, you add a little healthy fat- olive oil or an avocado- and then you massage the kale with your own bare hands. You’re literally taking care of the very first phase of digestion before the food even gets into your body, by partially breaking down the tough fibers with your hands.

*And yes, it does work a LOT better with a little fat, so don’t leave that out). In this recipe, acid and salt help to further break down the kale before it lands in your mouth.

Try this little experiment

Before you make this recipe, set aside a small piece of raw kale. Then when once you’ve made the salad (but before you’ve begun to eat it), place that piece of raw, un-massaged kale into your mouth, chew, and swallow. Observe how the kale feels in your mouth- what textures do you feel? How do your teeth feel? Do you like the taste? Now, do the same with a bite of your finished avocado-kale salad. Notice the difference. This is also a great foodie activity to do with your kids!

Kale basics

There’s really only two things you need to know about kale to prepare you for making this recipe. First, what kind of kale will you buy? There’s lots of different kinds, but it really doesn’t matter which one you choose. Experiment to see which varieties you like better, and always get the one that looks freshest at the market.

Second, how do you prepare raw kale? It’s actually quite simple and you don’t even need a knife (in fact, it’s easier without a knife). First wash and dry your kale. If you can, do this step when you come home from grocery shopping so that your kale is already washed and dried when you take it out of the fridge. Second, take a leaf of kale and hold the bottom of the stem firmly with one hand. With your other hand, firmly pinch your fingers around the base of the stem and slide the up to the tip of the leaf, ripping the leaf right off both sides of the stem. Finally, rip the leaf into bite sized pieces. Now you’re ready to make your salad!

Ingredients

1 medium bunch of kale (any type)

1 ripe avocado (*it must be ripe)

1 lemon, juiced

1/4 tsp flaky sea salt (or to taste)

Your choice of additional herbs and spices

Your choice of additional toppings: cherry tomatoes, sliced radish, diced bell peppers, carrots, beans, nuts and seeds, quinoa

Directions

Wash and dry the kale.

Into a large bowl: de-stem the kale and rip leaves into bite size pieces. Discard stems.

Scoop out the avocado into the bowl. No need to even cut it up.

Squeeze lemon into the bowl (be careful not to allow seeds into the salad)

Using your hands, work the avocado into the kale. Really get your hands in there. By massaging the kale you break down some of the fibers and making it more digestible and giving it a more delicate mouthfeel. You’re also creating a dressing.

When done massaging, toss in the salt and any herbs or spices. Add your toppings and you’re done!

Since kale is a little more hardy than lettuce, this salad can keep in the fridge for a day or so. It’ll get softer the longer you let it sit.

Did you make this kale salad? Leave a comment to let me know how it went!