Prepping Kale for the Perfect Kale Salad

Tired of making blah kale salad?! I know how you feel. This article will help you create delicious and exciting kale salads. To say I am thrilled to share this information is an understatment.

Kale can easily top my list of favorite leafy greens – partly because it is so easy to grow year-round! It is hearty enough to handle frost, and even snow! So, kale is perfect for winter salads.

Below, I have listed four simple & easy steps to turn a kale salad from drab to fab

1. Wash the kale
2. Slice the kale into manageable and bite-sized pieces
3. Massage the kale for a more edible and less fibrous bite
4. Add the right kale compliments to your salad to add complex flavors

Wash The Kale

Rinse 

Sometimes, I wash my kale twice! I give it a rinse right before cutting it up. Then, if needed, after I finish cutting up my kale pieces, I place my kale-strips in a cold-water bath. As the bath removes the grit and grime you will see it fall to the bottom of your bowl. You can also use a clean sink full of water to clean the cut-up kale. This method works especially well if you are cleaning lots of kale. 

Dry

Remove the kale from the water bowl, and dry it. A salad spinner works best but you can also lay your kale over top some clean dishcloths. 

Cut The Kale 

The next step in making an exciting kale salad is cutting the kale into manageable bites.

How to cut the perfect-sized kale strip

• First, remove the rib from your kale. You can roast that woody stem to eat in a different dish (seriously try it), but raw kale stems are not recommended in a kale salad 
• Stack the kale leaves over one another as you would lay pieces of paper.
• Roll the kale the long way, like a cigar (or hot dog bun).
• Slice the kale the long way down the middle.
• Then, slice the kale horizontally. This final slice creates 1/2-inch to 1-inch ribbons.

 Massage The Kale

Once you have your kale ribbons, the kale is ready for a massage. You may have heard of massaged kale, but why do it? 

Kale is fibrous and tough, unlike other leafy greens such as arugula, spinach, or butter lettuce. Massaging the kale breaks up those fibers, making the kale easier to chew and digest. Moreover, massaging ensures that your dressing is uniformly coated. 

How to Massage Kale

• Add the kale to a salad bowl. Drizzle the salad dressing of choice over the kale. A little lemon juice and olive oil (or oil of choice) work really well.
• Start massaging the kale leaves with your hands, dispersing the dressing all around each kale leaf.
• Massage kale for 1-2 min (or longer) until dressing is fully incorporated throughout and you notice the kale has slightly reduced in size.
• You’re finished! You can enjoy the salad as is or add some kale complements. See below for my complements guide. 

Add Some Kale Salad Complements

Below are 5 categories of ingredients to keep in mind when upgrading any Kale Salad!

Crunch – Color – Protein – Fat – Flavor

Adding additional ingredients will transform your kale salad! You only need one or two extra ingredients a elevate your kale salad. From caper berries and cashew nuts to freshly shredded parmesan cheese and briny olives, feel free to get creative with ingredients to bring brightness and excitement to your salad.

Crunch: Crunchy additions are perfect in any salad. They provide additional textures to keep every bite exciting. Some examples of crunchy additions include croutons, cucumbers, apples, nuts/seeds, and/or quinoa crisps.

Color: Another path to a phenomenal kale salad is to make it colorful! Some of my favorite ways to brighten up a salad with color include adding dried fruit like red craisins, colorful veggies like stop-light bell peppers, or beautiful green hues from olives, lettuces, or herbs.

Sharper Tip: Herbs are an excellent addition to any salad. They are bright, flavorful, and a simple way to bring any salad to the next level.

Protein: A little protein can add even more dimension to your salad. Not only are proteins great for the taste buds, but they help keep you full. Some of my go-to protein additions include grilled salmon, marinated and baked tofu, crispy chicken, and crunchy nuts & seeds.

Fat: Fat can provide creaminess and flavor. For me, a delicious salad dressing is a must for any kale salad. Some examples of fat include creamy goat cheese, creamy brie cheese chunks, olive oil in a lemon vinegarette, or one of my absolute favorite kale salad dressings Cashew Caesar Dressing.

Flavors: I love to include a little bite when making kale salads. Citrus juice or zest, briny olives, or tangy capers do a magnificent job of adding complex flavors with minimal effort. 

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