Massaged Kale Salad with tangy orange vinaigrette & savory, nutty, fragrant granola. So delicious and full of amazing flavors & textures!
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"I seriously think I could eat this salad and nothing else for the rest of my life.....so GOOD!!!! " - Kelly ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ More reviews →
Massaged, kale, salad, and granola altogether in the same recipe title...
Trust me on this one because this is such a delicious salad with incredible flavors and textures and the key to making a kale salad that people actually like to eat is massage!
We take finely chopped kale and massage it in the tangy orange vinaigrette. The combination of the massage and acid in the dressing breaks down the cellulose in the leaves making them tender and soft enough to enjoy raw.
Then comes the savory granola with a delicious mix of crispy, nutty and chewy, plus a generous amount of salt and dried rosemary to bring it all together. It makes the perfect salad topper!
This is a salad that works great for meal prep. I’ve been known to tuck a jar of the vinaigrette and a container of chopped kale in the fridge and a jar of granola in the pantry. Then you can toss individual salads together all week long. You can even pre-massage the kale if you plan to eat it within 3 days.
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Recipe
Massaged Kale Salad with Savory Granola
Author:Ingredients
For the salad dressing
- 1 large navel orange , zest and juice - it should end up being about ½ cup (120ml) juice
- 2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup , or vegan honey
- 1 pinch fine sea salt
- 1 pinch freshly ground black pepper
For the granola
- 1 cup (100 grams) rolled or old fashioned oats
- ¼ cup (30 grams) sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup (30 grams) pumpkin seeds
- ½ cup (65 grams) raw hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, or almonds , chopped
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup (70 grams) dried cranberries
- 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
- ¼ cup (60 ml) salad dressing
For the salad
- 1 large bunch fresh kale leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
For the salad dressing
- Zest and juice the orange. Put the juice, zest and all of the other salad dressing ingredients into a small bowl or a jar with lid. If in a bowl whisk together to combine, if in a jar give it a good shake. I like to use a jar because it's easier and any leftovers can be stored in it in the fridge.
For the granola
- Preheat oven to 370°F (185°C)
- To a bowl add the oats, seeds, nuts, salt and pepper.
- Add 4 tablespoons of the salad dressing and stir really well.
- Tip out onto a lined baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven, toss then return to the oven for about another 10 minutes or until dry, golde, toasty, and crispy. Watch it to make sure it doesn't burn.
- Once removed from the oven, add the rosemary and cranberries and mix them in while still warm. Leave to cool on the tray.
For the salad
- Wash the kale leaves and remove the stems. Chop into small bite-sized pieces and put into a large bowl.
- Add a few tablespoons of salad dressing. Just enough to coat everything nicely. Then, get your clean hands in there and massage and rub the kale for a few minutes until it turns darker green, has reduced in volume by about half, and becomes tender.
- Serve the massaged kale with a little more dressing and plenty of granola.
NOTES
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Kelly says
I seriously think I could eat this salad and nothing else for the rest of my life.....so GOOD!!!! Thank you!!
A Virtual Vegan says
Thank you Kelly. I'm thrilled you are enjoying it so much!
Karyl says
Kale is one vegetable I've loved since I was a little kid. But the funny thing is, I'd never done massaged kale before! This salad was delicious. So light and refreshing.