“Have you ever massaged kale?”, my sister asked in one fateful text message several months back.
I had not. “You have to try this,” she responded. My sister doesn’t jump on trends very often (or ever), so I gave this some pause. Is performing a spa treatment on a leafy vegetable perhaps less crazy than it sounds? After multiple meals, my conclusion is: it’s not weird, totally worth it, takes 5 minutes.
Since that message, I’ve been making massaged kale about once a week. (I can see the smug smile on my sister’s face right now—she’s so proud of herself). If you’ve ever eaten a salad of raw kale, you are all too familiar with that feeling of your temples starting to hurt because you have to chew so hard. Cooking kale, of course, softens and tames the greens, but also completely changes the taste. Massaged kale though? It’s the best of both worlds—the flavor of fresh, raw kale but with the texture that’s pleasant to eat. It’s mind-bogglingly different. And I don’t throw that made up word around casually.
My go to preparation has been tossing the massaged kale in a tahini, Dijon mustard, and lemon juice dressing (again, stolen from my sister), but this week I decided it was time to try something different. Why not make the perfect winter salad out of it? I imagined myself touting the health benefits of pomegranates and all the vitamins and anti-oxidants you get from blood oranges. It’s January, after all, and aren’t all of us people who write things on the internet supposed to tell you to eat healthy?
Then came the realization that I know nothing about health other than to eat things that are real and taste good, and that I’m both too busy and too lazy to do the research. I am not a health blogger, that is for sure. Perhaps someone with a food science or nutrition degree can chime in here and confirm the fact that this salad has to be super good for you?
But for now I’ll focus on the preparation, which is basically this: after you’ve lovingly (love is required) massaged your kale, dump all the other ingredients on top of it and toss it gently. Oh and when you peel your pomegranate, do it in a bowl of water. The seeds will sink and the pith will flow and you’ll avoid the countertop mess that comes with pomegranate juice. That is a pro tip.
- 1 bunch lacinato kale, stems removed, torn into large pieces
- 1 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 shallot, minced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ½ teaspoon honey
- 1 blood orange, peeled, sliced into thin rounds
- seeds from ½ a pomegranate
- 2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled
- ¼ cup walnuts, chopped
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Place kale in a large bowl and pour olive oil, lemon juice, and sea salt on top. Using your hands, massage the kale leaves, working the olive oil, lemon juice, and salt into the leaves. If you've got some large leaves, tear them into smaller pieces as you go. Continue to massage for about 5 minutes, until kale is a vibrant green and has broken down. Set aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together shallot, olive oil, honey, and lemon juice. Pour over kale and toss to coat.
- Top kale with blood oranges, pomegranate seeds, goat cheese, walnuts, and a little bit of black pepper.
That looks fantastic!
writes AngieThank you Angie :)
writes VickySmug smiled on cue. And, I’m confident this salad is super good for you
writes SisterI love massaged Kale! I am with you on the heathy vs. real food :)
writes SujheyJust tried this over the weekend and, wow, massaged kale is soo much better! Love this salad and your photos are GORGEOUS!
writes JordanThat’s great – I’m glad you liked it :)
writes Vicky[…] Sprinkled with blood orange slices and pomegranate seeds, you won’t believe you are eating kale with this beautiful salad. By Vicky Cassidy […]
writes Blood Orange and Pomegranate Massaged Kale Salad – Honest Cooking[…] Sprinkled with blood orange slices and pomegranate seeds, you won’t believe you are eating kale with this beautiful salad. Top with leftover meat, such as chicken, for more protein in addition to the nuts. See the recipe. […]
writes Dinner Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less – Honest Cooking