Need a delicious and satisfying detox meal? This Super Foods Kale Salad Recipe is just what you're looking for! And you won't want to miss my tips for making the kale much more enjoyable to eat raw!
Reader Request: Kale Salad Recipe
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Guys, I'm doing a new thing on my blog. As many of you probably saw, I've had a reader survey going, which is something I do each year around the holidays. I seriously love doing it because none of this is possible without you guys and I seriously value your opinions. I want to create recipes and content that helps you and makes your life better. So I made sure to add a section where you can request recipes that you'd like me to create!
And let me just say, you guys had so many great ideas for delicious dishes, I could hardly wait to get into my kitchen and get started. So now, once a month (or sometimes more!) I'll be tackling some of your requests and creating recipes that you want me to make! And of course, you're always welcome to reach out to me if you have requests or comment here or DM me on Instagram.
So the first reader request I'm tackling is a Kale Salad. And I figured, now that we're fresh into the new year, likely with a slew of resolutions just waiting to be broken (don't be like me- be strong, you can do it!), now is the perfect time to share this healthy Kale Quinoa Salad. This season also inspired me to add some other killer super foods like sweet blueberries, quinoa and salmon to pack in plenty of protein and make this a satisfying meal, carrots and red cabbage, creamy avocado, hard boiled eggs and sliced almonds.
How to prepare kale to serve raw
Now I'll be honest and tell you that kale is generally not my go-to salad green because it's extremely fibrous and there is such a thing as too much texture. But being a video creator has it's perks and one of those it that I've had to shoot a few kale salad recipes and quickly learned a few tricks to make this salad a bit more enjoyable to eat:
- Remove the stems. I know this probably goes without saying, but I'm saying it anyway. Those stems are the very worst culprit when it comes to adding that fibrous texture that can be tough to bite through.
- Chop it up. I prefer to take my kale salad as a chopped salad because it also cuts down on the texture.
- Massage your kale. I know this sounds weird, but give your kale a good 3-5 minute massage using your clean hands like you're kneading bread. You'll know it's ready when it just starts to wilt and it should be crispy and but not rubbery. Not only will this help tenderize the kale a bit, but I'm sure it'll appreciate a nice massage as well!
- Use your dressing to aid in the massage. So you actually have two options where this is concerned. Traditionally, you'll squeeze a little lemon juice and sprinkle a little salt onto the kale before massaging it. But I instead just throw they dressing onto the kale. It's got salt, pepper and dried herbs in it and the vinegar adds the bit of acid that you need. Work smarter, not harder, my friends!
Frequently asked questions about making massaged kale salad
- What is the best dressing for kale salad? My kale salad dressing is a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, white balsamic vinegar, honey, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. It's fantastic!
- Can you eat kale raw in a salad? Yes! And if you follow my directions about it will be much more palatable.
- How do you season a kale salad? The dressing for this seasoning contained just the right amount of seasoning.
- Can kale salad be made ahead? Yes- If you are planning to make this ahead of time, you can skip the massaging step and just dress it in advance. the acid in the dressing with help break down the fibers over time the same way that massaging the kale does right away.
- Which kale is best for salad? The most common varieties of kale available (at least near me) are the regular curly kale and Lacinato kale, which is also called dinosaur kale. the latter of the two is more flat, but you'll just follow the same directions for tenderizing. The variety pictured in this post wis the regular curly kale.
Make it a meal!
A few great recipes to round out and complete this meal are:
- 2 Ingredient Applesauce
- Savory Butternut Squash Soup
- Everything Pita Chips
- Detox Lentil Soup
- Copycat Panera Bread Napa Almond Chicken Salad Sandwich
Helpful tools:
Super Foods Kale Salad Recipe
Ingredients
Kale Salad Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- 1 ½ teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon prepared dijon mustard
- kosher salt, to taste
- ground black pepper, to taste
- Italian seasoning, to taste
Kale Salad
- 1 filet salmon
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- 1 wedge lemon
- 4 cups kale, stems removed and roughly chopped
- ½ cup blueberries
- ¼ cup cooked quinoa
- 1 small avocado, sliced
- ¼ cup carrots, shredded
- ¼ cup reb cabbage, shredded
- 2 Tablespoons almonds, sliced
- 1 large egg, hardboiled, peeled and sliced
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with foil or parchment (if foil, grease it). Place the salmon onto the pan and sprinkle with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and ground black pepper to taste.
- Bake the salmon for 15-20 minutes or until the internal temperature of 145 degrees.
- While the salmon bakes, cook the quinoa according to package directions and hard boil the eggs.
- Also while the salmon bakes, whisk together all dressing ingredients until well combined.
- Place the chopped kale into a large mixing bowl and pour the dressing onto the chopped kale. Start with some of the dressing and add more as necessary, to your taste.
- Using clean hands, gently massage the kale like you're kneading bread. Do this for 3-5 minutes until its tenderized but still is still crisp to the bite (taste it!).
- Add all remaining salad ingredients to the bowl and toss to combine and evenly coat additional ingredients.
- When the salmon has cooked, cool it for a couple minutes and serve flaked over the salad immediately.
If you tried this recipe please comment and rate it 🙂 I love hearing your feedback and answering your questions! And if you make it please tag me on Instagram with @thelifejolie so I can share it <3
Looking for some other great salad recipes?
- Summer Bounty Strawberry Salad
- Marinated Vegetable Salad
- Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad
- Copycat Panera Bread BBQ Chicken Salad
You can find a full index of my recipes here.
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