With kale being one of the most nutrient-rich vegetables out there, our tasty kale salad is one of our favorite dishes. Besides its health factors, our dressing makes this a delicious meal that you’ll love. To make it, simply pour the kale in a bowl, mix together the dressing, and you’re done in under 15 minutes! We love it as a snack or perfect, healthy side to any meal.

Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2 bunches kale
⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 Tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Using your hands, strip kale leaves from the stems (discard stems). Wash and dry the leaves. Tear the leaves into small bite-size pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. In a mason jar with a lid (or any lidded container) combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and salt. Shake to combine, then pour over the kale leaves.
3. With clean hands, firmly massage and crush the greens to work in the dressing. Stop when the volume of greens is reduced by about half. The greens should look a little darker and somewhat shiny. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

Chef's Note:

This salad will keep in the refrigerator for a couple of days without wilting or getting soggy (even when dressed!).
If desired, add diced apples, orange segments, toasted walnuts, dried cranberries, vegan Parmesan cheese, etc. to enhance the flavor of the salad.

Recipe Notes:

Mince the garlic as finely as possible! Mincing the garlic finely will allow the amazing garlic taste to spread throughout the entire salad.
Depending on how much you like or don’t like dressing, it’s completely up to you how much kale you want to use. Some people like the kale to be flooded with dressing, and if that’s you, use less kale than the recipe calls for. If the opposite is true, add more kale than called for to add an extra highlight on the flavor of the kale rather than the flavor of the dressing.

Recipes

Massaged Kale Salad