Discussion Board

How do you make massaged kale salad? I hear that it makes the kale less bitter, but how do you do it? How does it work?

Thanks!

Sharon

Good morning, Sharon. All of the things I found when searching for massaged kale all had oil or avocado in the mix...some sort of fat. I decided to try the way I would do a pressed salad (macrobiotic), or at least in a similar way.

I tore the kale into bite size pieces and put into a big bowl. I put a nice amount of sea salt and used my hands to massage the salt into the kale until the kale started to wilt a bit. Then, unlike the pressed salad, I didn't weigh it down to press it. I simply left it in the bowl for about 1/2 hour. Massaging the salt into the veg helped break down the fibers a bit and made it much softer and less bitter. I make sure to rise the kale well so I don't have all that salt in my salad and then I dress it with whatever dressing I am craving that day. I love it this way.

The first 2 minutes of this video show how - and why - to massage kale. I didn't hang around for the recipe for I'm sure it's full of oil and other non-McD ingredients.

Basically it's cutting the kale into small pieces and kneading it for a few minutes, just as if you're kneading bread dough. It supposedly breaks down the kale fibers to make it softer and less bitter. At the end of the massaging in the video the kale looks to be reduced to about half its bulk.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IittbDVgmsQ

I use the juice of one lemon and a pinch of salt to a large bowl of torn, destemmed kale. Work the lemon juice and salt in with your hands until the kale is wilted and reduced in volume. I then add diced tomatoes, cucumbers, and green onion. Yummy.
Kate

Nice little video. Thanks. Not only did I learn something, I got a chuckle too. She's funny.

Once its massaged, will it keep to eat as leftovers? Is the act of massaging the kale itself that makes this work, or is it the massage with the salt/lemon juice?

Thanks, everyone!

Sharon

I also like to play some smooth jazz and have some candles going.

I use a dressing of lemon juice, fresh ginger, a peeled orange (or some clementines) and whiz it up in the blender. You can add other stuff to the dressing, like nut butters or soy sauce if you include them in your diet. I use washed and torn up kale, chopped sweet yellow onions, shredded carrots, and some currants or cranberries for sweetness. Pour the juice dressing over it and get both hands in there, squeezing and ripping and mixing until everything is well combined and the kale is softened. Then I pack it into covered glass bowls and put it in the fridge. It needs to sit overnight to be ready (the flavors meld and the kale wilts a bit), but after that I've had it keep just fine for as long as a week.

Sounds perfect for my needs -- thanks for the update! A good friend of mine told me she makes a salad with massaged kale and mango -- doesn't that sound good? On my list to try this week!

Sharon

I have no idea what massaged kale is, but it sounds so sexy!

It has some of the same theraputic effects as kneading bread dough. I love to play with my food!

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