I am not going to lie. The first time I heard of “massaged” kale salads I laughed. I just kept thinking, “Man! I know people are all about kale these days but massaging them seems a little excessive!” So for a period of time I refused to do it. Well I recently got over my aversion to massage the kale and gave it a try. The verdict: It is a serious game-changer and I should have tried this a long time ago. I just may need to come up with a different name for it because I really can’t take myself seriously when I say it. Today I was telling a co-worker about it and couldn’t even get it all out without laughing. But in all seriousness, it really made a huge difference in eating raw kale. Instead of having a tough piece of green that ends up ticking or irritating your throat as it goes down, you get a tender and delicious flavor. I have massaged a lot of kale in the past couple days. Can’t stop, won’t stop.
This salad is really super easy and full of super healthy seasonal produce. You can easily switch out different vegetables and add your favorite protein. So go out on out, buy some kale and massage it. You won’t regret it.
Enjoy!
PrintKale and Roasted Butternut Squash Salad
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 30
- Total Time: 45
Ingredients
Roasted Butternut Squash
- 4 cups butternut squash, peeled and cubed
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp dried oregano
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 2 Tbls olive oil
Rosemary Lemon Vinaigrette
- Zest and Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 Tbls apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbls garlic, chopped
- 1 Tbls fresh rosemary, chopped
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp dried oregano
- ¼ cup olive oil
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups kale, chopped and stems removed
- 1 cup red cabbage, chopped
- ¼ cup pecans, chopped
- 1 Tbls herbed goat cheese (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400. Chop the butternut squash in to bite-size chunks and toss with seasonings and olive oil.
- Place on a baking sheet and roast for 30-35 minutes or until squash is soft and slightly caramelized.
- Put all of the dressing ingredients in a jar and whisk thoroughly or put a lid on it and shake.
- Place the chopped kale in a large bowl and drizzle about a tablespoon or two of dressing in to the bowl. Use your hands to mix and kneed in the dressing with the greens. ‘Massage’ the leaves until tender.
- Toss the rest of the ingredients and roasted squash in the bowl and drizzle more dressing if you desire.
Notes
- This can serve two as an entree dish or four as a side dish to compliment and entree.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
Steph says
Can’t stop. Won’t stop. You’re hilarious.
Excited to give my kale a massage tomorrow!!
Tim says
Perfect for a winter day.