Nourishing Balance Blog

Massaged Kale Salad with Mango and Avocado

 I found this recipe from Lauren over at "Healthy Food for Living" - it's a wonderful sweet and savory summer salad!  In celebration of kale I listed a few other options below this recipe so play around with the different flavors!

Adapted from the blog,“Healthy Food for Living” - http://www.healthyfoodforliving.com/?p=32421

Yield: 4 servings

Prep time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

1 bunch lacinato kale (dinosaur), destemmed and thinly sliced

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice

2 teaspoons honey

2 ripe champagne mango's, peeled and sliced

1 ripe but firm avocado, pitted and diced

¼ cup tossed sliced almonds, roasted

¼ cup toasted coconut flakes, unsweetened

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions:

In a large bowl, toss the sliced kale leaves with a small drizzle of the olive oil and a bit of kosher salt. Massage with your hands until the kale softens and wilts – about 2-3 minutes.

In a small bowl or jar, combine the remaining olive oil, honey, and salt and pepper to taste. Whisk or shake until well combined

Toss the massaged kale with the dressing and add in the diced mango and avocado. Serve at room temperature topped with the toasted sliced almonds and coconut flakes.  You can make this a few hours ahead of time and is best at room temperature.  

There are so many delicious combinations for kale salad so I wanted to list a few more variations for you!  Try a combination of cranberries and  pine nuts, tossed with lemon juice and olive oil.  You can also try  diced apples and cooked quinoa, tossed with lemon juice (and zest) olive oil, Dijon mustard, and a small amount of honey.  Ok, one last option to try: roasted pecans, roasted butternut squash, diced onion, tossed with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Play around with these combinations and see what hits the spot!