Massaged Cheesy Kale Salad by the veggie nook

Massaged Cheesy Kale Salad

by Gabby Ouimet

Keywords: raw salad gluten-free nut-free raw soy-free sugar-free vegan vegetarian paleo avocado nutritional yeast kale

If you have never massaged your kale before, I urge you to try! Yes it sounds a little ridiculous and I felt silly the first time I set out to do it, but it really transforms the kale from it’s bitter, tough self into a flavourful, tender green! It’s also really easy too, and as long as you don’t mind getting a little messy, it can be done in a few minutes.

Ingredients (serves 2)

2/3 bunch of kale, leaves removed from stalks and torn into small pieces
1 avocado, mashed
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
1 tsp oil (I used hemp but could use olive, etc.)
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce, nama shoyu, Bragg’s, etc.)- I used coconut aminos since I’m avoiding soy at the moment
fresh ground pepper
fresh vegetables of your choosing
olives, capers or sundried tomatoes

Instructions

Put your kale in a large bowl. Add the rest of the ingredients (except the pepper) and get massaging! Don’t worry about mixing the dressing ingredients beforehand- you’ll be working the kale for a little bit so everything will get incorporated then. You’ll want to massage it for a few minutes. I tend to give any especially tough areas I come across a little extra attention. You will start to notice results immediately- the kale will become brighter in colour and will decrease in volume. While results start right away, I urge you to massage it for at least 5 minutes. This was a mistake I made the first time I tried a massaged kale salad and I wasn’t very enthused with the results.
Finish with fresh ground pepper and add salt if desired (although with the coconut aminos and nutritional yeast I found there to be enough saltiness). This salad is great when you top it with other fresh vegetables like tomatoes as well as some savoury additions like capers, olives or sundried tomatoes. Definitely include one of these as they really compliment the “cheesy”and creamy components of the salad.