the BEST {and easiest!} kale salad

Don't be fooled by the mere four ingredient for this recipe - this kale salad is truly the BEST you'll ever have, and it only takes 5 minutes to make!

Hi buddies! Well, I bet you were not expecting me to pop on here and wax poetic about kale salad on a Tuesday, but here we are. I am so excited to share this recipe with y'all today because I LOVE it so much! I've been making it at least once a week and I still love eating it, so that's really saying something. Without further ado, I present to you - The Best And Easiest KALE Salad (like...ever). A bit dramatic? Perhaps. But seriously, don't be fooled by the simple list of ingredients because this is incredibly good, and probably my favorite way to eat kale! Yes, even more than with pasta.

This is not my first kale salad on the blog... I actually have another posted that is similar but it also includes sweet potatoes, cashews, parmesan, and a whole separate dressing. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's definitely GOOD but a bit more fussy. With this super simple kale salad, I have cracked the code. The key is you have to massage the kale! And before you go, well DUH, we all knew that... you have to massage it in water when you're washing it. Not with the oil or dressing. I have tested this both ways and found that massaging it in water makes the salad so much better!

Here are my thoughts on why massaging it in water works so much better - when I am washing the kale and massaging it, I seriously sit there and squeeze the bejesus out of it. It's basically akin to hand-washing clothes. BUT the water turns bright green, which leads me to think that all the bitter grossness in the kale comes out... and stays in the water. Versus when you massage it with olive oil, well, the bitter grossness really still sits on the kale because it has nowhere else to go. This way, you're literally rinsing the gross away! After you squeeze your kale nice and good and it's basically turned into soft tender little leaves, all you have to do is hit it with some olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic salt. THAT IS IT. I know it seems too simple to work but I promise it is awesome!

I know that was a lot of words about kale salad but seriously - give my method a try. You'll be shocked at the difference! Let me know if you guys make this kale salad. I'd love to hear your thoughts 🙂

Tips for success:

• Don't be shy! Really massage the heck out of that kale. The more you massage it, the less work your teeth have to do when chewing, and the better mouthfeel it will have!
• Add a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper on top for even more flavor.
• If you're feeling crazy... a smashed avocado mixed in here is DIVINE!

Print Recipe

5 from 2 votes

the BEST {and easiest!} kale salad

Don't be fooled by the mere four ingredient for this recipe - this kale salad is truly the BEST you'll ever have, and it only takes 5 minutes to make!

Prep Time10 minutes mins

Total Time10 minutes mins

Course: Salads

Servings: 6

Author: Valentina | The Baking Fairy

Ingredients

• 1 bunch fresh kale
• 1-2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• juice of ½ lemon
• garlic salt to taste

Instructions

• First, prepare the kale. Fill your sink with cold water, and soak the kale leaves. Remove the tough stem in the middle as well as any other hard pieces you find.
• Tear the kale leaves with your hand into smaller pieces, and then start really massaging and squeezing the kale leaves with your hands. You can't be too rough!
• Keep massaging until the leaves are soft and malleable. You should literally be able to squeeze water out of a handful of kale just like you would a piece of fabric.
• Shake off the excess water, and dry off the kale leaves with a paper towel.
• Add the kale to a large bowl, and toss with the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic salt. Enjoy immediately, or store leftovers in the fridge!