Kale. Can’t get enough of it. Most often I juice it, or steam it & toss it into a simple bowl of quinoa & Bragg’s, but lately I’ve been trying to enjoy it in all of its raw glory.
I threw this simple salad together yesterday, as a kick-off to, what I hope to be, a very healthful summer. All of the veggies are seasonal & local – from Suzie’s Farm, with the exception of the avocado, which was from P’s uncle’s tree.
I know I’ve touted the benefits of kale in previous posts, but here’s another quick rundown on this superfood. Kale is the “queen of greens” & a nutritional power house. Kale is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals, & antioxidants In fact, kale’s health benefits are primarily linked to the high concentration & excellent source of antioxidant vitamins A, C, & K – which helps lower your risk of developing cancer. Beyond antioxidants, the fiber content of cruciferous kale binds bile acids & helps lower blood cholesterol levels & reduce the risk of heart disease. While it is often said that you will receive maximum benefits from lightly steaming kale, I often enjoy it in the raw, lightly “massaged.” Massaging helps to lightly “wilt” the kale, allowing it to be more fully enjoyed in it’s raw form.
For my “Kick off to Summer Kale Salad,” I cut the kale into small ribbons & massaged it with a bit of “Lightened Up Lemon Tahini Dressing” from Oh She Glows. Then I tossed in some seasonal veggies I had on hand – rainbow carrots, chioggia beets, & avocado, then sprinkled in some raw peptias for extra “crunch.”
Kick-off to Summer Kale Salad
Prep time
Total time
Author: Vegenista
Recipe type: Salad
Cuisine: Vegan
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- 1 bunch of kale
- ½ cup shredded rainbow carrots
- ½ cup shredded chioggia beets
- ½ avocado, cubed
- ¼ cup raw pepitas
- 1 batch of Lightened Up Tahini-Lemon Dressing (from Oh She Glows)
Instructions
- Prepare dressing in a food processor & process until smooth.
- Shred carrots & beets in food processor, or grate by hand.
- Tear the leaves off of the kale stems & chop into bite-sized pieces.
- Mix kale & dressing (3/4-1 cup) in large bowl until thoroughly combined, & massage dressing into leaves until just wilted. Add veggies & toss. Sprinkle with pepitas.
- Place in fridge to ‘marinate’ for 10-15 minutes. Keeps in fridge in a sealed container for 1 day.
Mmmmm,mmmmm…nothing like a raw kale salad on a warm summer afternoon. I absolutely love this dressing & will be making it often, however, I might reduce the salt by 1/2 a tsp. next time, as the nutritional yeast made it savory enough for me. This dressing would be wonderful over my steamed kale & quinoa bowl as well.
Welcome summer!
Vegenista's Kitchen is a plant powered food blog dedicated to eating consciously & living compassionately.
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