Massaged Kale Salad

The salad of the kale renaissance: raw curly or Tuscan kale massaged with olive oil, lemon, and salt until dark and tender, then tossed with Parmesan, toasted almonds, and dried cranberries

Origin: California, United States

From the journey of Kale.

The massaged kale salad is the emblematic dish of kale's twenty-first-century reinvention, the moment a tough peasant green of the European winter became the darling of the Californian health-food table and, from there, of the world. The problem it solves is an old one: raw kale is leathery, fibrous, and bitter, unpleasant to eat straight from the leaf. The solution, popularised by the raw-food and farm-to-table movements of California in the 2000s, is as simple as it is transformative: the stripped, finely sliced leaves are dressed with oil, lemon juice, and a little salt and then literally massaged by hand for a few minutes, the friction and the acid breaking down the cell walls so that the kale wilts, darkens, softens, and turns almost silky, its bitterness mellowing into a deep, savoury, nutty sweetness. The tenderised leaves, which hold their texture for hours without wilting to mush, are then tossed with sharp, salty, and sweet accents: shaved Parmesan or Pecorino, toasted almonds or pine nuts, dried cranberries or currants, and perhaps a little chilli and garlic. Sturdy, keeping, and nutritious, the massaged kale salad became one of the signature dishes of the superfood age and remains the best argument for eating kale raw.

Ingredients

The Salad

  • 1 large bunch curly or lacinato (Tuscan) kale, about 250g, stems removed, leaves very finely sliced

Dressing

  • 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely grated
  • 0.5 tsp flaky sea salt

To Finish

  • 40 g Parmesan or Pecorino, shaved or finely grated
  • 40 g almonds or pine nuts, toasted and roughly chopped
  • 40 g dried cranberries or currants
  • 0.25 tsp dried chilli flakes (optional)

Method

  1. Strip the kale leaves from their stems, then slice the leaves as finely as you can. Put them in a large bowl.
  2. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, grated garlic, and sea salt to the kale.
  3. Now massage the kale with both hands, scrunching and rubbing the leaves against themselves and the bowl, for 2 to 3 minutes. The kale will reduce in volume, turn a darker, glossier green, and become noticeably softer and silkier.
  4. Let the dressed kale rest for 10 minutes to continue tenderising. Then toss through most of the cheese, nuts, and dried fruit, and the chilli if using.
  5. Taste and adjust the salt and lemon, pile onto a platter, and scatter over the reserved cheese, nuts, and fruit. Serve.

Notes

Both curly kale and lacinato (Tuscan, 'dinosaur') kale work beautifully; lacinato is a little more tender, curly a little sweeter once massaged. The salad is endlessly variable: try a Caesar-style dressing with anchovy and more Parmesan, or add avocado, roasted squash, chickpeas, or a soft-boiled egg to make it a meal. Because massaged kale holds up so well, it makes an excellent packed-lunch or make-ahead salad.

The Gastrographer

The Gastrographer

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Ingredient originTrade or transit route
Became a culinary stapleColonial / trade control
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