• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
LindySez | Recipes
  • About/Contact
  • Recipes
  • Tips & Techniques
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Home » Recipes » Massaged Kale Greek Salad

Massaged Kale Greek Salad

Published: Sep 4, 2019 · Modified: Nov 8, 2021 by LindySez · This post may contain affiliate links

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

A massage works wonders, be it on a human or kale. This Massaged Kale Greek Salad turns raw kale from tough and bitter into soft and sweet


The making of Massaged Kale Greek Salad

Kale. We all know it's good for us, full of vitamins, minerals, antitoxins. It s a nutrient-rich food. One of the best sources of vitamin K, A, and C. It also has large amounts of magnesium and potassium. It can help lower cholesterol and Yada Yada Yada. We know this.

But, kale can be tough. Kale can be bitter. Especially in the raw stage. Much better cooked as far as the mouth goes, but more nutrient-rich when served raw. So how does one go from making kale into a raw star, other than throwing it into your morning smoothie? The answer I found is simple. Give it a good massage.

Why Massage?

Just as you might enjoy a good massage to loosen up your tense muscles, kale loves a good massage to break down the tough cellulose and fiber that makes it hard to chew, harder to digest, and just not so much fun in your mouth. It also turns it from being slightly bitter to being sweeter.

I mean a massage does that for you, so why not kale?

Turn this

Raw kale in a bowl before the massage

Into this

Kale for the Massaged Greek Salad after the massage

Without all this

The stems left after massaging the kale

The art of the massage

Massaging the kale for the Greek Salad

Just like kneading bread, you want to use your hands and gently, but firmly, massage the leaves of the kale, using your fingers to separate the leaves from the tough stems. After about 2 minutes you will notice a distinct change in the look and feel of your kale. Keep massaging for a few minutes longer until your kale is as soft as you like it.

Don't over massage. You want soft tender kale, not mushy kale.

Remove the hard stems as they become separated from the leaves. Unless, of course, you enjoy the hard stems. Then just leave them. Me, not so much.

The combination of massage, along with the oil, lemon juice, and salt is what works its magic.

A yellow bowl with Massaged Kale Greek Salad ready to be served

Where's the dressing?

You might notice there is no recipe for any dressing. That's because by putting the lemon-flavored olive oil, lemon juice, and salt on the leaves before you massage them, you are actually making the dressing as you make the kale soft and tender. It's one reason I recommend you use a lemon-infused olive oil, although a good extra virgin olive oil will do the job. And with only 1 teaspoon of oil being used, you know that helps keep the fat and calories down too.

Not that I can claim this is low-fat. The olives, Feta, and pistachios all have fat. So use those ingredients as you see fit.

A side view of the massaged kale Greek salad with antique spoons

Make it in advance

This salad is so easy to make in advance. As a matter of fact, I think it's better when allowed to sit for a while, an hour or so before it's served to allow all of the flavors to blend.  The Feta melds into the kale, the meaty olives lend their brininess to the program, the thinly sliced red onion starts to soften and sweeten, and the tomatoes lend their juices to the mix. The only thing I would not add until the last minute is the pistachios. Keep them until just ready to serve so they maintain their crunch.

Refrigerated to hold - then remove the salad at least 15 minutes prior to serving so it's not ice cold. Better at almost room temperature.

An overhead view of massaged kale Greek salad

So there you have it. Thinking outside of the shake. A new easy way to incorporate healthy kale into your life.

I hope you try giving your kale a good massage. It will make you, and your kale, so happy!

Want more hearty salads like this Massaged Kale Salad? Try one of these...

Tabouleh Salad

Mediterranean Chickpea Salad with Feta

Quinoa Salad with Dried Fruits

An overhead view of massaged kale Greek salad

Massaged Kale Greek Salad

LindySez
This recipe for massaged kale Greek salad turns grumpy tough bitter kale into happy soft sweet leaf salad.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 10 mins
Course Other sides, Salads
Cuisine Mediterranean
Servings 4
Calories 407 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 8 ounces about chopped kale
  • 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil preferably lemon-infused
  • Juice of 1 lemon
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ½ cup or as desired, cherry tomatoes, cut into halves
  • ⅓ cup about Kalamata olives, cut into quarters
  • ½ medium red onion thinly sliced
  • ½ cup or as desired, Feta cheese, crumbled
  • ¼ cup shelled pistachio nuts toasted and salted

Instructions
 

  • Place the kale in a large bowl, drizzle the olive oil over the top, squeeze the lemon juice over, and then add the salt. Using your hands, gently begin massaging the kale, (as you would knead bread) using your fingers to gently rub the leaves and pull them apart from the hard center stem. After about 2 minutes you will feel the leaves get softer, remove any stems from the mix as they become loose. Continue to massage the kale for about 4-5 minutes. Add the additional ingredients and toss well. 
  • You can massage the kale and leave it in the refrigerator for a few hours before composing the salad. You could make this salad in its entirety up to 1 hour before serving - add the nuts at the last minute to preserve their crunch. 

Notes

This recipe is written for 2 servings, but can easily be doubled.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gSodium: 1348mgSugar: 14gFiber: 13gCholesterol: 67mgCalories: 407kcalPolyunsaturated Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 12gFat: 21gProtein: 22gCarbohydrates: 43g
Keyword Greek salad, kale salad
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
« Low-Fat Spicy Mexican Style 3-Bean Salad
Fresh Apple Chunk Olive Oil Cake »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Brian

    September 06, 2019 at 12:49 pm

    Amazing what a little massage does to soften this tough fibrous veggie...and salad dressing comes with the massage!

    Great dish.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Lindy.

I am a home-trained chef who loves to cook and eat delicious food. As I like to say, "Life is too short to eat mediocre food". And I find too much food out there is mediocre. I don't think good food needs to be fussy, or difficult to prepare. Most of my recipes are fresh, quick, easy, and tasty while keeping both calories and fats in check. 

More about me →

Popular

  • Recipe for the Best Original Der Wienerschnitzel Chili Sauce
  • Easy Tagine of Pork with Sweet Potato and Preserved Lemon
  • Steamed Green Beans with Slivered Almonds
  • Slow Cooked Oven Baked Spaghetti Sauce
  • The Best Hormel Chili No Beans Copycat Recipe
  • Hasenpfeffer German Wine Braised Rabbit
  • Sole with a Light Creamy Shrimp Sauce
  • Easy Low-Fat Crab Enchiladas
  • The Best Chicken Vindaloo
  • Balsamic Marinated Tri-Tip Roast

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclaimer

Newsletter

  • Sign Up! for emails and updates

Contact

  • Contact

Copyright © 2020 Lindy Sez