Green Salads

Massaged Kale Salad

Kale is the one green that gets better with time, and massaging is why. Rubbing the leaves with salt, oil and lemon breaks down their cell walls the way heat would — the kale turns glossy, dark and tender, losing the chewy raw edge that puts people off. That structural change is also what makes this the most practical salad on the site: dress it Sunday, eat it Wednesday, and it will still be crisp. Pecorino, pine nuts and golden raisins give it salt, fat and sweetness so it reads as a real dish, not a health obligation.

Massaged Kale Salad
15 minPrep time
15 minTotal time
4Servings
290Kcal / serving

Ingredients

  • 2 bunches lacinato (Tuscan) kale, about 400g
  • 1/2 tsp fine salt
  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 garlic clove, grated
  • 50g pecorino, finely shaved
  • 40g pine nuts, toasted
  • 50g golden raisins
  • Black pepper

Instructions

  1. Strip and shred

    Hold each kale stem and strip the leaf away with your other hand. Stack the leaves, roll them, and slice into thin ribbons. Wash and dry them thoroughly — wet kale will not massage properly.

  2. Massage

    Put the kale in a large bowl with the salt and 2 tbsp of the oil. Scrunch and rub it firmly between your hands for a full 2 minutes. It will shrink by about a third, darken, and turn silky. Keep going until it does.

  3. Dress

    Add the lemon juice, garlic and remaining oil. Toss well and let it sit for 10 minutes.

  4. Finish

    Fold through the raisins, most of the pine nuts and most of the pecorino. Scatter the rest on top with plenty of black pepper.

Add roasted squash from our Butternut Squash Salad to make it autumnal, or dress it with Maple Dijon Vinaigrette. It is also the backbone of our Salad Meal Prep Guide.

The EasySaladBowl secretTwo minutes of massaging is the minimum, and most people quit at thirty seconds. The kale should feel noticeably softer and look wet and dark green before you stop.

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