Monday 16 May 2016

Only-kale-can-save-us-now salad

When I started blogging 9 years ago I had never heard of kale.  Now you only have to wander down to your local supermarket to find big bunches of the stuff.  And if you want to know how to serve it, you don't have to look hard for recipes.  It is often found in our kitchen.  Even so, it has taken me a long time to find a raw kale salad to really love. 

The recipe was found in the Vegan Life Magazine that I bought on holiday.  It was so simple it was worth a try once.  I had tried a few raw kale salads previously and didn't get the kale adoration.  This salad - with the tongue in cheek title "Only kale can save us now salad" started as being not quite right.  The tahini and soy sauce was a bit sharp and salty for me.  Then I added a spoonful of maple syrup.  And suddenly it was wondrous.

I have now made it four times recently and love it.  It is a great side dish in so many meals or just great to eat with a sandwich at lunchtime.  The only time I wasn't quite so keen on it was when I ran out of maple syrup and used agave syrup instead.  More amazingly, E loves it.  He was heard to say he wished there was more of the kale salad the other night.  This is the same man who once said Kale rhyme with Epic Fail.

So finally I have a kale salad that I am really excited about.  I lick my fingers when I have massaged the dressing into the kale.  I am happy to eat a bowl of it without any accompaniments.  Washing and ripping up the kale takes a little bit of time.  Not long.  And it is worthwhile to stop and make a dressing that makes it so easy to include that little bit more greenery on my plate.

I am sharing this delightful salad with Eat Your Greens, Healthy Vegan Fridays, Gluten Free Fridays and No Croutons Required.

More kale recipes from Green Gourmet Giraffe:
Kale cake (v)
Kale, cheese and mole quesadillas (v)
Kale scones (v) 
Potato and kale enchiladas (gf, v)
Pumpkin and kale soup with tempeh crumbles (gf, v)
Tahini lime rice with kale and cashews (gf, v)
'Teriyaki' tofu with brown rice and kale (gf, v) 
Tomato and kale soup with pistachios (gf, v) 

Only-kale-can-save-us-now salad
Adapted from Eat Like You Give a Damn by by Michelle Schwegmann and Josh Hooten via Vegan Life Magazine
Serves 2-4

6-7 large leaves of curly kale (about half a bunch)

Dressing:
1 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes
1 tablespoon tahini
1 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoons tamari
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 tablespoon linseed meal (flaxmeal)
1 teaspoons onion granules
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tbsp water, if needed

Garnish:
2 tablespoons hemp seeds (optional)

Firstly tear kale leaves off the stalk and rip up into small pieces.  Wash and dry.  (A salad spinner would be great but if you don't have one like me just wrap in tea towel and squeeze water out.)

In a large mixing or salad bowl, make dressing by mixing ingredients.  It should be a pouring consistency.  Add a spoonful or two of water if too thick.

Tip leaves into the mixing bowl with the dressing.  Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale.  You want to help the kale wilt a little, spread the dressing throughout the leaves and end up with really messy hands. 

Sprinkle with seeds to serve, if desired.  Salad can be kept in the fridge for a day or two.

On the Stereo:
Waxing Gibbous: Malcolm Middleton

19 comments:

  1. Isn't it great when you find how you really like to eat something. I have to admit to still not being a kale fan.

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    1. Thanks Cakelaw - kale has crept up on me but the salads have always been a bit low on my list and now they are creeping up

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  2. I remember finding kale at a market in Bellingen and taking it home on the plane to Sydney with me. Now it's everywhere! :)

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    1. Thanks Lorraine - I remember a time when I longed to be able to try it and then the black kale started coming into the shops first and I really wanted to try curly kale if I could ever find it - how things have changed!

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  3. as my blog started because of my vegetable growing antics and allotment adventures, I did know about kale. One of my first posts with the most terrible photo ever was of a kale dish http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2009/01/kale-and-sprouts-for-dinner.html And I had to try Kale crisps that were all the rage then http://allotment2kitchen.blogspot.co.uk/2009/03/seedy-curly-kale-crisps.html and now discovered by PR bloggers as a new thing.

    Thanks for sharing this recipe. I love how GREEN it is I will have to try it, though I it does remind me of a similar recipe called Massaged Kale popularised by Americas Aarti Sequiera Food Network Star.

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    1. Thanks Shaheen - you are obviously one of the bloggers I envied for your ready access to kale before it became ubiquitous here - I have had some nice kale crisps but never got into the swing of making them. I was really pleased to send this one to eat your greens. But yet I am sure there are many variations on the recipe all over the web - this one just worked well for me. (And I wondered if my tastes have changed or if this recipe was just perfect for me)

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  4. I'm game to give this a go! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

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    1. Thanks Cindy - hope you enjoy - made it again for dinner last night - such a good healthy side dish and quite easy

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  5. Great to hear you liked this - I hadn't tried it but it does sound like a simple but effective way to serve kale. I'm pretty happy eating it most ways but agree that a well prepared and well dressed kale salad is a completely different thing to plain kale.

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    1. Thanks Kari - I do love to eat kale other ways too but sometimes it seems too much hassle to prepare - I have been enjoying making this over and over because it makes it seem easier when you make something often

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  6. Kale rhymes with Epic Fail - that's hilarious. Glad you finally found something you both enjoy. I prefer sharp lemony dressings for kale salads to the creamy ones, but variety is always good. (I know this salad is good, though, since I made it when reviewing the cookbook!)

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    1. Thanks Janet - I am wondering now I am coming around this massaged kale salad if I will find I like other dressings more too - will have to have a look at your lemony dressings

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  7. Mmmm kale! I've been really craving it with the warmer weather we've been getting. I'm loving salads & all things green right now. And it sounds so simple to throw together. Glad E likes it too ;)
    Thanks for sharing this at Healthy Vegan Fridays - it's being featured this week! I'm pinning & sharing =)

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    1. Thanks Kimmy - sylvia even had a mouthful last night - if only I can get her to eat it that would make my life easier!!!! Enjoy your salads - not quite salad season here but this is a nice side that feels right for the colder days

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  8. I really like the sound of this and will probably try it. You're right, kale kind of came from nowhere and has now conquered all places, a bit odd but it's healthy so we don't care. :)

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    1. Thanks VegHog - I love the stuff - sometimes spinach is too floppy :-)

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  9. It took me ages to work out about massaging kale and how it transformed the leaves into lovely salad, but now I have, I can't look back! I love avocado-based dressings on kale, and I bet I'd love this too!

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    1. Thanks Joey - I really need to try some other dressings - the massaging still seem odd!

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  10. Wow. That sounds wonderful. I will be trying this one for sure. Thanks for sharing with NCR.

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