This delicious kale salad recipe was inspired by a meal I had at a cute little place in Bellevue, WA back when I lived outside of Seattle. The massaging of the kale is critical here. This helps to break down those very fibrous leaves that can be a little hard on the teeth and stomach! It creates a first step in the digestive process so you don't have to chew as much and your body is able to extract the maximum nutrients from the kale.
This salad was a hit at The Four Pillars Retreat as part of the meal the attendees prepared together and has been a hit when I've made it for dinner parties and holidays. Skip the feta to make it vegan or substitute goat cheese for a more velvety flavor. Switch up the almonds with a different nut. Make it your own but DO NOT skip massaging the kale. Seriously!
Makes 4-6 servings
Salad:
1 lb. kale, stems and ribs removed as much as possible
1 cup quinoa
1 cup almonds – slivered, chopped, raw, roasted, whatever
4 oz feta cheese – crumbled as small as possible
4 oz dried cranberries
Dressing:
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
1 tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil (approximately)
Directions:
1.
Prepare quinoa
according to package directions. For 1 cup, usually adding to 2 cups water,
bring to a boil, reduce to simmer until water is absorbed. Allow to cool.
2.
In a very large bowl,
massage the kale, removing any rough ribs or stems as you go. Massage until it
is very tender and turns a brighter green. Depending on your bowl size, you
might need to do it in 2 batches!
3.
Once the quinoa is
cooled, add to massaged kale.
4.
Mix the lemon,
vinegar and salt for the dressing and then whisk in enough olive oil to balance
the lemon & vinegar.
5.
Add about ½ of the
dressing and massage together kale, quinoa, and dressing. This infuses the
flavor of the dressing into the salad but also breaks up the quinoa so it is
evenly distributed throughout.
6.
Add the almonds,
feta, and dried cranberries and toss to combine.
7. Add more dressing as desired.