The Best Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus

This Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus is the perfect hearty salad to make in the winter. It’s light enough to serve as a side salad, but flavorful enough to be the base for a delicious, nutritious, and filling meal (just add some additional protein!).

Nut Free, Gluten Free, Grain Free, Egg Free, Soy Free

Have you ever been in the mood for a huge salad? Like have to get my hands on a big crunchy salad right now kinda mood? If so, I totally get it!

Especially in the winter and colder months, I reallllly have to be in the mood for a salad in order to eat one. Otherwise I feel like I’m eating “diet food” and forcing myself to get my fill of veggies. (Pssst – there are other ways to eat vegetables besides salads!)

We never want to force ourselves to eat vegetables because that’s simply not sustainable! That’s why I prefer to make my veggies extra exciting.

Like this Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus!

You want me to MASSAGE my KALE? Yes!

Why you should massage kale leaves before making a salad

I’ve read about a few diferent ways to massage kale before making a salad. Some include the dressing. Others do not.

But the reason for massaging the kale is to break down the tough leaves. Kale leaves are sturdy, which is why I love them so much. They’re crunchy and even a little chewy. But no one wants to feel like they’re eating fiber straight up. THAT’S why you massage the kale first!

How to Massage Kale Leaves

The method I use to massage kale leaves is quite simple:

1. De-stem the kale from the stem. If you like the extra-tough stem you can leave it, but I prefer to take the leaves off of the stem.
2. Cut or tear (I usually just tear) the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
3. Pick up a big handful of leaves, squeeze gently, and release back into the bowl. Repeat until you massage all of the kale leaves.

I know this is an extra step in the salad-making process, but it’s so worth it because the kale becomes much more tender.

What Type of Kale Should You Use?

Massaging kale is key, no matter what type of kale you use. There are a few different types of kale out there. I prefer to use dinosaur kale, also known as lacinato kale. It’s not quite as fibrous or tough as curly kale. Personally, I prefer to cook curly kale, but lacinato kale works well in salads.

Nutrition Benefits of Kale

Kale is one of the hottest veggies out there, and for a good reason – it’s PACKED with nutrients, including:

• Vitamins A, C, and K, plus some vitamin E and B. One serving of kale provides well over 100% Daily Value of vitamins A, C, and K.
• Minerals like calcium (1 cup chopped provides 10% of your daily calcium needs, making it a good source of non-dairy calcium), and iron (5% of your daily needs, making it a source of non-meat iron).
• Plant-based protein: one cup of cooked kale contains 5% of your daily protein needs!
• FIBER — 10% of your daily needs in 1 cup! 
• Compounds called isothiocynates help protect against 5 types of cancer! 
• Over 40 different flavonoids (read: ANTIOXIDANTS), which help protect against inflammation and many chronic diseases (like heart disease) 

Ingredients You’ll Need For This Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus

You’ll need 6 ingredients to make this easy kale salad:

1. Dinosaur (Lacinato) Kale
2. Pepitas or shelled pumpkin seeds
3. Roasted carrots
4. Fennel
5. Orange segments
6. Avocado

Plus just 3 ingredients for the homemade dressing, including:

1. Apple cider vinegar
2. Dijon mustard
3. Honey or maple syrup

Plus olive oil, salt and pepper (but I don’t count those!)

How to Customize This Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus

I’m a big believer in making your groceries work for you. So if you see this recipe, but don’t have all of the ingredients, you can use the basic formula to create a delicious salad still.

Make sure this salad contains:

• Leafy greens
• Citrus
• Any roasted vegetable
• Any “spicy” vegetable

Here’s what I mean:

Any leafy greens can be substituted, but if you want to meal prep this salad (see notes below), I suggest using a sturdy green. If you’re making it right before you’re eating it, any green will do.

Adding citrus makes any dish POP! The acidity is a welcome flavor, balancing the sweeter veggies. I opted for oranges because that’s what I had in the house, but you can use any citrus, including grapefruit.

We buy a 5 pound bag of carrots weekly because our entire house loves them, so I always have roasted carrots around in the fall. However, you can add any cooked vegetable you have from leftovers to sautéing something up quickly. The reason I prefer a cooked vegetable is because it adds additional texture and sweeter flavor to the salad.

The salad calls for fennel, which is a spicy and distinct flavor (some compare it to licorice). If you don’t have fennel (which is also great for digestion), you can use any “spicy” vegetable – or any vegetable with a kick, including:

• Onions
• Jalapeños
• Pickled vegetables
• Radishes

Instead of pepitas, you can add any seed or nut you have on hand. Personally, I’ve made this combo with hearty hemp hearts before and it’s so good!

How to Make Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus

This salad takes just a few steps to make…

First, spend the time massaging your kale. It really does make kale salads taste SO much better!

Then, prepare the dressing. It’s a simple apple cider vinaigrette that just has to be mixed together. You can even double the dressing recipe and keep it in the fridge for a couple of weeks.

Toss all of the ingredients together. Add the dressing and let sit for a few minutes before eating it. The dressing will further tenderize the kale leaves.

How to Meal Prep This Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado

Thanks to the sturdy nature of kale, you can actually dress this salad in advance without worrying about soggy leaves by lunchtime. One of the other perks of using kale!

If you’re prepping this in advance for lunch I suggest dressing in the morning. You could do it the night before too, but I think it tastes fresher in the morning.

If you’re planning on making this later in the week, but want to get some prep work done and out of the way, try:

• Make the dressing – this dressing stores well for a couple of weeks in the fridge.
• Roast carrots – It takes just 10 minutes to chop some carrots and throw them in the oven to roast. Here’s a full tutorial.
• Dry roast the pepitas – I threw the pepitas in a dry pan for a few minutes to release some of their natural oils. You don’t HAVE to do this step, but it makes it so much better!
• Slice fennel – Thinly sliced fennel (without a mandolin) takes patience, so you may wish to do this in advance. Store in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
• Prepare the kale – de-stem and massage the kale. Keep in an airtight container or bag in the fridge with a paper towel inside to absorb excess moisture and keep leaves crisp.

How to Balance Your Plate with this kale salad

Balanced meals are important for optimal satisfaction, reducing cravings, blood sugar management, and boosting your metabolism (get the full run down on balanced meals here).

This salad can be a side salad or easily turned into a well-balanced meal.

But first, let’s take a look at how balanced this meal is on its own….

Remember, a balanced meal contains protein, veggies, carbs, and healthy fats.

From the ingredient list below, can you identify these food groups?

• Dinosaur (lacinato) kale
• Pepitas
• Roasted carrots
• Fennel
• Orange segments
• Avocado

This salad is full of veggies, easily making it half of your plate or bowl.

Veggies in this salad include kale, roasted carrots, and fennel.

Healthy fats are also in abundance, including avocado, pepitas, and the oil in the dressing.

There is some plant-based protein in this salad from the pepitas, however, if this was lunch alone there may not be enough protein.

Most people require 15-20+ grams of protein per meal, so I would suggest adding:

• Leftover protein from dinner the night before
• Chickpeas or black beans
• Tofu
• More pepitas than listed in the ingredients
• Smoked salmon
• Canned tuna or salmon

Carbs are also minimal in this salad.

Orange segments are the most significant source of carbs in this salad, so if this is a complete meal you may wish to add additional carbs, like roasted (sweet) potatoes, chickpeas, or a grain, like quinoa.

However, for some people, a meal with a good amount of healthy fats doesn’t require an additional carb because fats are so filling. This is where getting in touch with your body is beneficial.

For more info on how to balance your plate, be sure to download your FREE Ultimate Guide to Balance Your Plate!

This Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado and Citrus is:

• Delicious
• Easy to make
• Filling
• Hearty
• Satisfying
• Vegan + allergy-friendly

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