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Savory Kale Salad

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My sister and I eat a large bag of organic kale every week with this recipe. It’s a simple recipe and easy to prepare. This has become the dish we prepare when we don’t know what else to prepare and we are too hungry to cook. We have discovered lots of ways to dress it up or build an entire meal around this recipe. Furthermore, kale is a great source of vitamin K, vitamin C, vitamin A, Vitamin B6, chlorophyll and fiber, so we always feel good about eating this salad.
Even my Dad, who is mainly a carnivore, has come to enjoy this flavorful kale salad. His favorite way to eat his portion is to stuff it into a sandwich with some cold cuts. I don’t recommend eating cold cuts, but if you are going to eat them, at least eat them with some kale.
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 2 tsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt
  • 4 cups chopped, washed organic kale
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder or fresh chopped garlic
  • 1/2 tsp onion flakes
  • 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast, plus some for topping
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/4 cup red cabbage for garnish optional
  • Extra nutritional yeast for garnish optional

Instructions

  • Place kale in a large bowl.
  • With your hands, massage olive oil, lemon juice and salt into the kale until the kale turns bright green (see photos)The citric acid from the lemon and salt will break down the tough exterior of this leafy green and alter the taste, making it less bitter. After the kale turns bright green, taste it for bitterness and salt.
  • Add lemon and/or salt, as needed. If salad is too acidic, you can buffer with a bit of honey. Next add garlic powder, onion flakes, nutritional yeast and red pepper flakes. I like to add a little red cabbage just because I love the pop of color the red cabbage provides. Serve it up and enjoy! Recipe makes one hardy serving or two side servings.

Notes

Dress it up: Add onions, tomatoes, cooked whole grains, nuts and/or seeds or legumes,  like chickpeas. Here's my basic chickpea recipe:
http://hathaheart.com/basic-chickpeas-2/
Make it a meal: Add additional vegetables and 3-4 oz serving of protein grilled chicken breast or salmon. If eating a vegetarian/ vegan diet, you can add vegetables, cooked grains and plant protein like grilled tofu, prepared seitan, tempeh or legumes. Finally, serve it with a cup of soup, like Amy's Organic Light-in-Sodium Soup, Lentil or another soup of your choice.
Add to sandwich: This salad can be stuffed into a sandwich. I like to make a sandwich with hummus, a slice of (vegan or dairy) cheese, tomatoes, cucumber, red onion slices and kale salad.