Best Kale Salad Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you get the best out of kale? ›

Massaging Kale – massaging kale with a little oil and/or lemon juice for just a few minutes makes it more tender and easier to chew. Plus, it adds an extra boost of flavor.

Russian Kale

Compared to other kale varieties, Russian kales are on the tenderer, milder, and sweeter side, making them an excellent and delicious green for salads and soups.

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, vinegar, honey, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix to blend. Put the kale, cabbage, carrots, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and pour in the dressing. Toss to combine until everything is evenly coated, then serve or store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale.

An overnight olive oil "marinade" is just the trick to improving the taste and texture of your kale.

By massaging it for as little as 2-3 minutes with a little oil and/or lemon juice, it becomes more tender, making it easier to chew and digest. The other reason is to infuse the kale with more flavor before the dressing is added.

Red (or Red Russian) Kale

— often has red-hued stems. The leaves are flatter than those of curly kale (resembling arugula leaves) and can be green or gray-green in color. Red kale is often considered the sweetest kale, which makes it perfect for eating raw.

RELATED: Believe It Or Not, Kale Actually Lives Up To All Of Its Hype—Here's Why. Manganiello says you can eat kale every day, just don't overdo it. She recommends one to two servings maximum of kale per day, leaving room for other healthy foods that provide an assortment of nutrients.

Kale has the buzz. But collard greens — kale's first cousin — are still uncommon. Standard fare in the American South, in the rest of the nation many are unfamiliar with these large, flat, oval, white-ribbed leaves. Yet they are nutritional superstars equal to if not surpassing kale!

Jennifer Aniston's Quinoa Salad took the internet by storm for good reason! Made with quinoa, garbanzo beans, feta cheese, pistachios, fresh herbs, and a simple lemon vinaigrette … this flavorful and crunchy salad is one of the best I've ever had. Packed with plant-based protein, fiber, and healthy fats …

Why do you massage kale salad? ›

Kale is fibrous and can be difficult to munch compared to other greens like romaine lettuce or spinach. The rubbing, kneading motion helps to tenderize the veg and make it easier to chew and digest. Try this for raw kale you are going to be serving or eating right away.

Add Sweet to Kale: Sweet foods go well with kale because they counter its rather bitter taste. Serve curly kale up as a salad with simple ingredients like a blood orange, mango and slivered almonds or apple, feta and toasted walnuts or cook kale up with caramelized onion.

The Fix: Balance bitter flavors by introducing something salty, sweet, or sour. For naturally bitter foods such as kale, you can soften the flavor by add a lemony vinaigrette, Parmesan cheese, and pomegranate seeds. You can also elevate kale by tossing it olive oil and salt, then roasting it in the oven until crispy.

Add Vinaigrette, Emphasis on "Vinegar"

Acidity can really bring a pleasant flavor out of bitter greens. If they're being used for a salad, it's good to add a vinaigrette with plenty of acidity to brighten it up. If you are sauteing, add some vinegar or citrus to the greens to finish them off.

If you're a leafy greens newbie, Waldeck suggests starting with spinach, though "any green that is cooked is going to tone down the strong or bitter flavor," she adds. Waldeck recommends chopping or shredding greens before sautéing or stir-frying.