Kale is a superfood vegetable that boasts an impressive nutritional profile. It has lots of iron, magnesium, vitamin K, antioxidants, protein, fiber, folate, and more. It carries such a nutritional weight, though, so it needs a little massage from time to time. All kidding aside, massaging your kale helps to break down the fibrous texture, creating a better eating experience.
Before you massage your kale, make sure to remove the thick stems. You don’t want those in your salad because they are bitter, overly crunchy, and ruin the flavor of whatever bite you take. You can massage your kale while you rinse it, and then let it sit for about five to 10 minutes. Don’t worry, you can really give kale your strength without worrying about it because it is stronger than it looks. After you leave it for a little bit, chop it as finely as you can. This helps to break the kale down even further, making it more enjoyable. In fact, you could give this kale salad to someone who doesn’t enjoy kale and you could convert them.
Now, you can simply dress the kale with the tangy dressing and it would be a beautiful salad. You can also add pine nuts or pumpkin seeds for added crunch, protein, and healthy fats. The choice is really up to you because tossing the kale in this dressing is exactly what you didn’t know you needed. It’s both refreshing and filling and perfect for anyone on a raw vegan diet. See for yourself and let us know how right we are in the comments below.
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 3 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Salads & Dressings, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Dressing
- 1/4 c red onion, minced
- 2 tbsp. raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 c raw tahini
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 2 1/2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- pinch of sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
For the Salad
- 2 bunches kale, thick stems removed
- 2 tsp. olive oil
- a few pinches of sea salt
- 1/4 c pine nuts (or pumpkin seeds)
Instructions
For the Dressing
- Place the red onion in a shallow bowl and cover it with the apple cider vinegar. Let it soak for about five minutes to help take that spicy bite out of the onion.
- Pour the red onion and vinegar into a blender and add the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, sea salt and pepper as well. Blend until smooth, tasting to see if the dressing needs any additional seasoning.
- Set aside while you prepare the salad.
For the Salad
- After removing the thick stems from the kale leaves, rinse the leaves and allow them to dry.
- Chop them into bite-size pieces and then add them to a large salad bowl.
- Drizzle with the olive oil and season with some sea salt. Using your hands, massage the kale pieces for about one minute, or until all of the pieces are coated with olive oil.
- Let the pieces sit for about five minutes before you drizzle the dressing over them. Add the pine nuts or pumpkin seeds and toss to coat.
- Serve the salad and enjoy.
