I give you permission to play with your food with this recipe: We’re massaging kale today.
Kale is one of my favorite dark greens. When I first started making it, I always cooked it either braising, quick stir frying or adding it to soups. Two summers ago, I visited a newly opened – now trendy – restaurant minutes from work where the kale was served as a salad. With my mind now opened, a love affair with raw kale began. 
The vegetable can be a bit tough and bitter for some people, causing them to go overboard with dressing trying to “mask” the bitterness when eaten raw in a salad. Massaging solves this problem: It breaks down the cellulose structure of kale, turning it from a tough, fibrous, bitter green to a sweeter, silkier, darker green that is infinitely more palatable than it’s pre-massaged state. Raw kale haters might even become raw kale lovers after tasting this salad.
For the dressing, you can use your favorite brand of marmalade; I opted for a no sugar added variety.
Kale Orange Almond Salad with Marmalade Dressing
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 1x
Description
Add some diced cooked chicken to make this hearty winter salad a one-bowl meal.
Ingredients
- 1 bunch curly kale (about 5 cups)
- 1/4 cup (60ml) apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 tsp minced fresh ginger
- 1 green onion, white and green, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) sugar-free orange marmalade
- pinch each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large orange, peeled, segmented and cubed
- 1/4 cup (36g) roasted almonds, chopped
Instructions
- Remove and discard large center stem from kale leaves. Chop or tear leaves into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Fill bowl with water, covering kale and swooshing leaves to remove any dirt. Set aside to allow dirt to settle to bottom of bowl.
- Fill a mason jar with the vinegar, oil, garlic, ginger, green onion, marmalade, salt and pepper. Screw lid on tightly and shake jar well until ingredients are mixed thoroughly and dressing has emulsified, about two minutes.
- Carefully lift out the kale leaves from the water bath and place into a salad spinner or use a towel to dry kale. Transfer kale to a serving bowl. Drizzle the dressing over the kale and using both hands, massage the dressing into the kale by picking up handfuls of the leaves and rubbing them together. As you rub, you’ll notice the leaves getting softer, shrinking in size and becoming darker in color. Massage leaves for a full 3 minutes, then taste. If the kale is still bitter, continue massaging for another minute or two, adjusting seasoning if needed.
- Toss in the orange cubes and the almonds until coated well with dressing. Divide salad between four bowls and serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 163g
- Calories: 221
- Sugar: 4.7g
- Sodium: 148mg
- Fat: 16.6g
- Saturated Fat: 3.2g
- Carbohydrates: 17.2g
- Fiber: 3.1g
- Protein: 3.9g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
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- Kale and Broccolini Salad with Tahini Dressing
- Citrus Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Grilled Halloumi and Kale Salad
- Pickled Egg and Kale Salad
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need to massage the kale, and for how long?
The article explains that massaging breaks down the cellulose structure of raw kale, turning it “from a tough, fibrous, bitter green to a sweeter, silkier, darker green.” The instructions say to pour the dressing over the kale and massage for a full 3 minutes — picking up handfuls and rubbing the leaves together — then taste and continue for another 1–2 minutes if it still tastes bitter.
Why does the dressing use marmalade?
The marmalade (2 tbsp, sugar-free variety per the author’s preference) serves as both the sweetener and the orange flavor in the dressing, working alongside ¼ cup apple cider vinegar and ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil. The author chose it to complement the orange segments in the salad, and recommends any marmalade brand you like.
How do I wash and dry the kale properly before massaging?
The recipe has you fill the bowl with water, submerge the torn kale, and swish the leaves to dislodge any dirt, allowing it to settle to the bottom. Then carefully lift the kale out (don’t pour it through a colander, which would redeposit the dirt) and spin or towel-dry it before massaging with the dressing.
