Easy Kale Salad w/ Citrus Dressing
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Can we chat? More specifically can we chat about kale salad? Maybe we can chat about a massaged kale salad loaded with so many toppings that you'll forget there's even kale in there? Yeah. That's our kind of salad, amiright or amiright? This gorgeous leafy bowl of goodness is tossed with a lemon-orange and honey dressing that you simply shake-up in a jam jar and it's tossed with cheese, avocado, oranges and seeds. Everything from Aldi, of course! ♥
Easy Kale Salad
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Okay. So, before you decide that a kale salad just isn't for you and that you're gonna have some chips instead, just hear me out. This salad is all the things that you want when you need a serving of greens. It also doesn't feel like you're having a salad. It's more like having all the best toppings that just happen to be sitting on top of some massaged kale. And because kale is so hearty this makes the perfect make-ahead and meal prep salad.
Ingredients needed for Easy Kale Salad
- Curly kale (we'll talk about massaging this)
- Wild rocket
- Blood oranges (while they're in season)
- Regular oranges
- Lemon
- Olive oil
- Dijon mustard
- Honey
- Avocado
- Seed mix
- Feta (or salad cheese)
Massaging Kale
That may seem a little on the strange side, but kale can be quite tough and fibrous and really does benefit from softening of the leaves.
To massage kale only takes about 3 minutes. Here's how to do it:
- Wash and dry the kale and cut out any of the large stems. *Most bags of curly kale from Aldi come chopped anyway, so you won't find many large stems.
- Pour some olive oil onto your hands and pick up handfuls of the kale and gently rub the oil into the leaves. The leaves will turn glossy and the volume will decrease slightly. Near the end of the massaging process, sprinkle with some sea salt and lemon juice.
- Note- if you prefer to not use oil to massage the leaves, then squeeze some lemon juice onto the leaves and go through the same process.
Kale Salad Step By Step
- Once you've massaged the kale place it in a bowl and set aside while you make the dressing.
- Add all the dressing ingredients into a clean and dry jam jar and shake well. When the ingredients first go in, they'll look split. Give the jar a vigorous shake to emulsify the citrus juice and the oil.
- Toss the dressing with the kale leaves.
- Place all the toppings on the salad and drizzle with some more dressing.
Possible Variations
- Add some chicken or smoked salmon
- Extra fresh veggies- cucumber, carrot slices, radish, broccoli florets
- Marinated veggies like sun-dried tomatoes or marinated artichokes
- Beans or pulses like chickpeas or kidney beans
Make-Ahead Kale Salad
This salad is perfect to make ahead. Follow the directions and massage the leaves, place the toppings in the salad, but don't dress it until you're ready to serve it. Kale is a very hearty leaf, but if you're looking to keep this in the fridge for a day or two, then it's best to dress it when you're ready. And store any leftovers in an airtight container.
And voila. There you have it. Thank you kale salad for teaching us all how to crave new and exciting (healthy) salads in the depths of winter. ♥
More healthy recipes from Savvy Bites
Tools used to make this Kale Salad
- Jamjar for dressing
- Salad bowl
- Salad spinner (for drying the kale leaves)
Easy Kale Salad w/ Citrus Dressing
Ingredients
- 200 g (2 ⅚ cups) curly kale
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) olive oil, for massaging the kale
- 200 g (9 ½ cups) wild rocket
- 1 (1) orange, peel cut off and sliced
- 1 (1) blood orange, peel cut off and sliced
- 4 tablespoons (4 tablespoons) seed mix
- 1 (1) avocado
- 100 g (3 ½ oz) feta, or similar salad cheese
- For the dressing
- 125 ml (4 ¼ floz) olive oil
- 2 tablespoons (2 tablespoons) honey
- juice of 1 orange
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Dijon mustard
Instructions
- Wash and dry the kale and cut out any of the large stems. Pour some olive oil onto your hands and pick up handfuls of the kale and gently rub the oil into the leaves. The leaves will turn glossy and the volume will decrease slightly. Near the end of the massaging process, sprinkle with some sea salt and lemon juice.
- Once you've massaged the kale place it in a bowl along with the rocket and set aside while you make the dressing.
- Add all the dressing ingredients into a clean and dry jam jar and shake well. When the ingredients first go in, they'll look split. Give the jar a vigorous shake to emulsify the citrus juice and the oil.
- Toss the dressing with the kale leaves.
- Place all the toppings on the salad and drizzle with some more dressing.
Notes
- Note- Most bags of curly kale from Aldi come chopped anyway, so you won't find many large stems.
- Note- If you prefer to not use oil to massage the leaves, then squeeze some lemon juice onto the leaves and go through the same process.
