Massaged Kale Salad

Massaged Kale Salad. Yes, I know, some of you may be wondering if you read that correctly. 

Deep tissue massage on a veggie?...exactly. :)

This is a gem of a technique that I learned at culinary school. Reminder- I went to a "healthy" culinary school. By massaging the kale with a little olive oil and salt, you break down this cruciferous vegetable, encouraging digestibility. Envision, large tough leaves vs. velvety massaged ribbons. Let me walk you through this quick and easy process. You are on your way to a surprisingly addicting and nutritionally dense salad.

Side note. There are endless flavor combinations for this salad once you have the basic technique mastered. A generous amount of fresh lemon is my simple favorite but experiment adding shredded carrots, cabbage, beets, seaweed...or try an asian inspired dressing with sesame oil and tamari (the real soy sauce!) This salad also saves well in the fridge for several days.

1 bunch kale (lacinato/dino kale is my favorite but any will do)

2 Tbs olive oil

1/4 chuck of preserved lemon

Now is your time to use your preserved lemons if you haven't already! Otherwise use 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice and sea salt to taste.

Kale prep. Grab a leaf. Ready?

Make a small tear on each side of the kale stem. Rip quickly downwards, running your fingers along the thick stem. Your de-stemmed kale should resemble the picture below. Kale stems can be saved and diced and used in a sauté or vegetable stock.

Once you have successfully de-stemmed the bunch of kale, layer several leaves face down.

You are about to learn a fancy culinary knife skill. Chiffonade. It's my favorite.

Roll kale into a tight bunch. Fold runaway tails underneath.

Taking your chef knife, cut thin slices on the diagonal...

...creating ribbon-like slices. Fluff! 

If you are using preserved lemons, remove a quarter lemon from jar and finely mince, peel and all. Store the opened jar of preserved lemons in the refrigerator.

In a bowl combine kale and olive oil. 

Using both hands give your kale ribbons a good massage. This process takes about 3 minutes. You will notice the kale decrease in volume and become a darker shade of green. When the kale is nice and limp you are done!

Add preserved lemons or lemon juice. Due to the salt content in the preserved lemons, no additional salt is needed. If using fresh lemon juice, add 1/2 tsp salt. Taste and adjust adding more if necessary

Again, this is the basic recipe. Use your imagination and develop all kinds of exciting flavor combos. Nuts and seeds are also delicious additions and provide a nice variety in texture. Sometimes I will simply sprinkle hemp hearts on the finished product to add color and even more nutritional benefits!

Let me know your favorite flavor creation!