Kale Salad, Two Ways

While sometimes a bit tough, if you know how to prepare it correctly, Kale salad can be a tasty side dish or main course. Kale is a green that's gained popularity in the past couple years—we see it in our grocery stores, farmers' markets, salad bars, and restaurants. The leafy green is packed with vitamin C, calcium, vitamin A, vitamin K, copper, potassium, iron, manganese, and phosphorus. It's part of the Brassica family of veggies (known to be super-nutritious) that includes cabbage, collards, broccoli, and Brussels sprouts.

Last week we posted about a raw food workshop some members of the Honest staff attended and we mentioned the importance of massaging the kale before you eat it raw. This may sound silly but for a tasty, healthy, and affordable green like kale, this 2 minute step is worth the extra effort.

Kale is in abundance right now at farmers' markets because it's in season, so you might be able to get a great deal (go to a farmer's market about 30 minutes before it closes down when vendors are willing to haggle to get rid of their produce). Some specialty grocery and health food stores sell baby kale, which doesn't need to be massaged, just soak it in an acidic dressing for about 20-30 minutes before serving.

Another great thing about kale is that since it's a tougher leaf (hence the massaging and soaking) if you make a giant kale salad for dinner, you can easily save the rest for the next day's lunch without it getting overly soggy.

Kale and Persimmon Salad

Serves 2-4

Ingredients 

• 6 cups organic baby kale
• 1 cup roughly chopped almonds
• 4 organic persimmons

Meyer Lemon Dressing:

• 1 organic Meyer lemon, (you'll use the juice and the zest)
• 1/4 cup cold-pressed organic olive oil
• 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp. agave

Directions

1. Wash and dry kale using a BPA-free salad spinner or a thin dishtowel. That's it with this type of kale! No massaging necessary.

2. Wash and slice persimmons into two-bite pieces—large enough so you can really taste the flavor. Yum!

3. Using a chef's knife, roughly chop about 1 cup of almonds.

4. Add all ingredients to a bowl.

5. To make the dressing mix 1/4 cup cold-pressed olive oil, with 1/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar. Squeeze 3-4 Tbsp. of juice from a Meyer lemon. Then grate as much zest as possible into the mix (Meyer lemon zest has an amazing flavor!). Finally mix in 1 Tbsp. organic agave nectar.

6. Toss and enjoy!

 *Dressing adapted from DamnDelicious.net. 

Kale and Pomegranate Salad

Serves 2-4

• 1 bunch organic kale
• 1 organic pomegranate
• 1 organic golden delicious apple
• 1 organic lemon

Dressing:

• 2 tsp. organic pomegranate molasses (you can make this or buy it), in a bind you can also use organic pomegranate juice, this changes the consistency of the dressing but still works!
• 4 Tbsps. organic cold-pressed olive oil
• 2 tsp. fresh organic lemon juice
• 2 tsp. agave
• 2 Tbsp. organic red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. To prepare this type of kale, first spray with a veggie wash, leave on for 1-2 minutes, and rinse. Shake leaves dry and use a utility or paring knife to remove the thick stem leaving just the leaves. To make this easier, fold the kale in half with the inside facing out, exposing the stem.

Slice the kale into strips, so it's easier to bite with a fork. Drain kale in BPA-free salad spinner or let dry in a colander.

2. Next you'll want to massage the kale. This makes it less rough, easier to chew, and much more tasty! Pour about 2 tsp. olive oil, a squirt of fresh lemon juice, and a pinch of salt over the kale. Massage the lettuce for about 2-5 minutes until you notice it shrinking in size and looking more salad-like. When massaging it, act like you're mixing cookie dough with your hands or even giving someone a massage—don't be afraid to get in there!

3. Next, you'll need to deseed the pomegranate. The easiest way to deseed a pomegranate is to fill a bowl with cool water. Slice the ends of the pomegranate, then begin to tear it apart while it's in the water. The seeds should easily separate from the membrane. This also helps to prevent pomegranate juice from getting on your clothes because any juice that comes out of the seeds as you gently squeeze them ends up in the water. After all the seeds are out, pick out any remaining membrane from the bowl.

4. For texture purposes, we peeled the apple and sliced it into strips, but feel free to use the skin!

5. Toss the apple in with the kale, add about half the pomegranate seeds (or as many as you'd like. We're saving the other half for pomegranate martinis!).

6. To make the dressing mix 3 Tbsp. cold-pressed organic olive oil, 1 Tbsp. pomegranate molasses (or pomegranate juice), 1 Tbsp. agave, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice, vinegar, and mix. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Pour dressing over salad. Toss. This should lightly coat the leaves with a sweet flavor.

7. Enjoy!

 What are your favorite kale recipes? Tell us in the comments!