One of my favorite deli treats at our local Whole Foods is the massaged kale avocado salad. Unfortunately, they don’t offer this often and most of the time when they put it out on display it stays there until it’s brown and mushy. Ew.
Finally, I got fed up with paying $10 for a massaged kale salad that happens only once every few months. It became obviously absurd to me that I would even pay money like that for something I could make so easily at home. And then this salad was born.
I like to make guacamole in batches and then use it in various meals. I love avocados and I love guacamole and so it’s usually a key ingredient in at least one meal a day. In this particular meal it is the shining ingredient, though you could simply use mashed avocado, instead, if you’d like.
I like to call this my Kale Picnic Salad because it reminds me so much of a potato salad you might take to a picnic. I really think it’s the crunch-factor that takes me there. Either way, this salad is perfect for sunny days and fresh air. I often bring this to picnics or BBQs for this exact reason!
Massaged Kale Picnic Salad:
the ingredients
1 bunch of kale, washed and de-stemmed
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 avocado, mashed
seasoning to taste (i.e. salt, pepper, cumin, etc)
herbs to taste (i.e. cilantro, green onion, etc.)
Mash the avocado in a small bowl and mix in the lemon and seasonings and/or herbs. Set aside. Next, wash the kale thoroughly and then pat dry with a paper towel. De-stem the leaves and tear apart, by hand, into bite sized pieces. (I like to hold the base of the stem with one hand, wrap my other hand around the base and then pull my hand along the stem, quickly, to pull the leaves off) Place the kale in a large bowl and toss with the pepper and onion. Next, spoon the avocado mash into the bowl and then use your hands to massage the avocado into the kale for a minute or two until it is well incorporated and wilted. The longer you massage the more palatable the kale becomes.
I feel like a bad raw foodie for not immediately enjoying kale. But this is one of the few ways that I actually enjoy it, immensely.
Enjoy!
Do you like kale?? Give this a try and let me know what you think!
xo
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