I've been meaning to share this recipe for months now but was delayed by a number of things, including a run of bad avocados - you know the kind with those awful strings in them that are already turning black when you open them? Blech...
But my avocado luck has finally turned and our kale plants are producing like crazy - it's actually pretty hard to keep up with them - so the time is ripe to finally get this out to you.
This salad has so many wonderful things going for it - it's like the holy trinity of healthy foods. There's the kale - so fresh and packed full of vitamins (C,A, and K, especially) and nutrients. I actually think that you can taste the goodness - for me, much of kale's appeal lies in its pleasing mineral-like flavor.
Then there's the avocado - buttery, smooth, slightly nutty and full of good stuff including nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients.
And the coconut oil! It has antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties as well as helping to lower cholesterol, aid digestion and increase thyroid function and insulin use. After decades of economically-motivated misinformation spread by the soy and corn industries, we now know that coconut oil is one of the healthiest fats we can eat. If you'd like more information on this, check out my wonderful Thai cooking teacher, Kasma's web site. And, if you happen to live in the Bay area, get on the waiting list for one of her classes!
The lemon juice and the garlic are pretty darn good for you, too. But as I've said before, this is all just icing on the cake for me -- the health benefits are a nice plus but the important thing (the cake, to stick with my rather tired culinary metaphor) is that it tastes really good.
Assembly is pretty easy. You wash and dry the kale, remove the ribs, and chop it up, then massage the lemon juice, coconut oil and salt into it. It will look more or less like this. Let it sit while you prep the rest of dinner to give the acid in the lemon juice time to soften the kale up a bit.
When you're getting close to being ready to put the meal on the table, peel and slice your avocado. Mash half of it with a fork and mix in the garlic and leave the other half in slices or cubes (or mash all of it, I've done it both ways). Toss the whole mess into the kale and stir well to combine then sprinkle with shredded coconut, toasted pepitas and/or toasted sesame seeds for a little nutty crunch.
Lemony Kale Salad with Avocado-Coconut Dressing
Serves 4 as a side
Ingredients
* 1 large bunch of fresh kale, rinsed and dried
* 1/2 large or 1 whole small avocado
* Juice of an organic lemon
* 3 tsps organic coconut oil
* 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed
* 1 tsp maple syrup
* Generous pinch of sea salt
* Few grinds of black pepper
* Handful of unsweetened, shredded coconut
* Handful of toasted pepitas, sunflower seeds or sesame seeds
Directions
1. Remove the ribs from the kale and chop it well. Place it in a good sized serving bowl and rub the lemon juice, sea salt and coconut oil thoroughly into the leaves. Leave it to sit for at least 10 minutes.
2. Peel and pit the avocado and cut it into cubes. Mash half of the avocado cubes with the garlic, black pepper and maple syrup and work it into the chopped kale.
3. Top with the rest of the cubed avocado, the shredded coconut and the toasted seeds and serve.
You might also like:
- Kale & Brussels Sprouts Salad with Toasted Almonds & Parmesan
- Crispy Kale Chips with Sea Salt & Sesame Seeds
- Shockingly Addictive Citrus-Massaged Kale Salad
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