Sunshine in a Bowl
We need some sunshine up in here.
I’ve been in a bit of a funk since we got home from Phoenix. There is absolutely no date in the foreseeable future in which I will need sunglasses, sunscreen or a bikini wax, and frankly, I’m not okay with that.
Nor is Pea Daddy. Prickly Mama Pea.
How could this really have just been a week ago?
In my naked-eyed, faded tan, stubbly state of depression, I haven’t left the house all week. Why would I? So I can navigate a busy parking lot in the pouring rain with my umbrella, a cartful of groceries, and Gigi and Lulu playing tug-o-war with the kid-sized umbrella that I intentionally lost in the garage a month ago and somehow was discovered today to torture me on every outing for the next three months?
No, thanks.
Still, we have to eat, so off to the store we went in the soggy mess of a Spring day.
Isn’t it lovely out?
I know, girls. It kind of makes me want to throw up in my mouth too. As does that umbrella, you are holding Lulu.
After we got home from the store and removed eight layers of sopping clothing and combed out our wet Afros, I felt compelled to makeover another dish we had on vacation.
A dish we ate at True Food Kitchen.
Outside.
In the sunshine.
Imagine that.
Kale Sunshine Salad
Serves 2-4
- 1 head Italian kale (also known as Tuscan or Dinosaur kale)
- 1 T. tahini
- 2 T. water
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/2 t. chili powder
- 1-2 t. minced garlic
- 1 T. nutritional yeast (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
- pinch of sugar or stevia
Note: You want to use Italian kale for this recipe rather than the curly leaf kale. It softens more quickly and provides a more tender salad.
Wash kale and pat dry. Using a sharp knife, cut along each side of the kale stem, removing the thickest part of the stem.
You can save the stems to juice or throw into smoothies, if you have a high speed blender.
Gather kale leaves into a bundle and cut across in 1-2 inch wide strips.
Put kale in a large salad bowl and set aside.
For dressing, whisk together tahini, water, lemon juice, chili powder, garlic, nutritional yeast, salt and pepper and sugar or stevia. Adjust seasoning to taste.
Pour dressing over kale,
and massage dressing into leaves with clean hands.
Refrigerate, allowing dressing to soften kale for at least five minutes.
Serve and bask in the sunshine.
If you haven’t tried kale like this, you don’t know what you are missing.
Okay, I’ll tell you.
Aside from a bright, citrusy, almost Caesar-esque salad that you will crave, this salad is rich in antioxidants, vitamins K, C and A, fiber and yes, even protein. (Hi, Mom!)
This salad would be a great side to serve with a pasta dinner, or you can serve it as an entrée by topping it with some baked tofu or tempeh along with some crusty whole-grain bread to sop up the dressing.
It’s still raining.
I’m still prickly.
And I’ve got to find a new hiding place for the kid-sized umbrella.
But this salad was a cheery reminder of sunnier times. And summer is right around the corner.
Take that, Spring.
I believe you need to move to Arizona. I went to Phoenix for a weekend eleven months ago, it was beautiful, and my i-pod weather finally found its match on sunny & 73* in AZ so I immediately went and asked for a job transfer, 3 months later I was in a Uhaul.
It’s funny you say that, because I asked Pea D today, “Did we choose to live here or just live here by default?” And I think default was the answer. And it cracks me up that you say that about your iPhone. For the longest time I thought mine was just lying to me.
I can so relate to the choose or default question. I went through that same thought and ended up concluding that it was default and because no one else had ever moved away. I decided to be a pioneer and find my own happy.
Hehe, you’re too, too funny. I long for sunshine too, and I’m not talking about fake sun, pictures, or food, although those are nice, too:)
I love massaged kale salad–great way to get lots of greens in, without all the cooking prep. Heck, serves 2-4? It might serve one, hungry appetite in my case! Never tried tahini and nooch, can’t wait to try!
My head was HUGE. We ate it with dinner and I still have leftovers.
Oh my…this recipe looks simply delicious!!!! Will definitely be trying this pronto…well maybe after we move and I have a kitchen again….hehe Love the silly monkeys in the last photo.
How soon is it? Gosh, we need to talk!!!!
We still have kale in the garden, and I was trying to decide today whether to just pull it out and compost it or eat it. Decision made.
Eat it!!!
Thanks for the raw food recipe!
You are right, it’s raw!
maybe this recipe will make me like kale! haha
No one in my family really loves kale but me, but they all liked this salad!
I love kale! I love kale salads, and I love all the different varieties of kale. Thanks for featuring Italian today. It’s so fun in the summer when the farmer’s markets really get cranking and there are soooo many niche versions of kale.
And any dressing with nooch and lemon juice is off to a great start for me.
Not having sunshine…that would be a deal breaker for me! Seriously, the reason I moved from the midwest to beach towns (first NC, then SC) and ultimately San Diego…is b/c I need the sun!!! And warm weather
I turn into a big grump when it’s too cold or too cloudy for too long!
Have a great week
You too, Averie! Send some of that sunshine my way.
Yay! I really needed a kale recipe!
To go with your donuts, right?
Oh how I want a bowlful of this right now!! Gorgeous dark green and so mcuh nicer to look at than office walls…
You are at the office?! Oh wait, I forgot. New Zealand, right?
I hate dreary days! I am looking forward to Thursday- it’s supposed to be nice and hot here. Too bad it’s not supposed to last!
Can’t wait to try kale like this!! And you’re right, it has been such a gloomy winter out here. Been in Portland 7 years, and this is the first winter that is actually getting to me. Too bad you don’t live closer to a New Seasons though…they deliver!!!
Today was just ridiculous. New Seasons sounds like a dream!
This sounds delicious! Thanks for the tutorial – I’ve always eaten kale stem on! But I bet it’d be much easier to eat without!
It just makes for a nicer, friendlier chew without it. And I juice the stems!
Is it me or does massaged kale sound dirty?
You love it.
Kale is my homeboy. So is hummus, but that’s irrelevant to this post.
I really regret not getting kale when I got groceries. Instead I got peanut butter. I have no clue why, since there’s only a third of the jar left and I got it on Friday. This happens pretty much every time I get PB. I even bought crunchy because I thought I preferred smooth. Apparently I don’t. I also went through eight bananas. I’ll let you guess what I ate all weekend. (That, and two mangoes, four organic and local apples, tons of spinach and baby greens, chickpeas and red kidney beans, and a few litres of tea. Because I know you were probably just dying to know.)
Btw, totally making this salad this upcoming Friday immediately after I get back from getting groceries. I’ve seen tons of recipes for kale salads and just after looking at the ingredients I can safely say this is my favourite, probably because I’ve already got most of the ingredients for the dressing, which is rare because I don’t have much other than tea and a few other things (chia seeds, flax seeds, tahini, shoyu, bouillon cubes, brown rice pasta, garlic, ginger, carrots and blood oranges. Again, I could just tell that you were dying to know) in my dorm room.
I wish there was a “LIKE” button for this comment, because I would press it. And I put a bunch of steamed vegetables, tofu and you guessed it, HUMMUS on top of this salad and ate it for dinner
I NEED some of this salad right now. The rainy day blues have gotten to me a bit too. I’m glad there’s sun in the forecast next week where we live. I wish I could send some your way!
I wish so too
Finally a super-simple kale recipe I’m actually compelled to give a try
For some reason those leafy greens frighten me to no end. Wish me luck!
Good luck!!!
I feel like it’s that way here 90% of the time.
Looks like a delightful salad though!
Ooh, that looks delicious! I’ve only put kale in soups/stews and once tried to bake it (didn’t care for that) so another way to eat my greens is great.
I eat a lot of kale. Massaged kale I’ve tried and tried and….I haven’t been converted. This looks really go though and I’m giving it another go!
Believe, my child! (I’m trying to convert you…)
Love using kale for salads. It takes on a complete flavor on its own. No other veggies are required.
I have never bought Kale to have at home , the horror!! I really need to, I am such a big salad eater, and this kale would be a good change ; )
I really hope summer is around the corner, because It is supposed to snow here this week, and Im not happy about that, I just want to be able to go outside in a cute tank and shorts and look hot! Not going outside bundled up like the Kid from ‘The Christmas Story’ , lol!
Have a great day ! xoxo <3
I was totally thinking of Randy when we were all bundled up yesterday. “I can’t put my arms down!!!”
lol!! classic! ahhhhhhhhhh you make my day I tell you ; )
it’s so funny you don’t love the rain – i never had a lot of rain growing up, and colorado is super dry to, so when it rains it’s a real treat!
It’s also ironic since I’ve lived in Oregon my whole life
When I was in Arizona a few years ago in December, all of the locals kept complaining about how long it had been since it rained there!!
How do you complain about that?!
We are experiencing the same weather (and funk). Last week it was 72 and tonight there’s a chance of snow. I’m (sort of) at a loss for words. And I also need to take a trip to the grocery store. Perhaps I’ll pick up a bunch of kale while I’m there?
I still haven’t tried kale chips and this recipe looks delicious. The dressing sounds like it could go on anything!
Thanks for adding a bit of sunshine to my morning!
You are welcome. You’ve got sunshine in a crib right in the next room too!
Maybe this will make kale love me. I keep trying to eat it, but every time it kicks me in my taste buds and I run away crying.
It made my family believers!
Sounds delicious Mama Pea! I would love to move to Arizona as well.. trust me, you have better weather where you are. In Ontario, we’ve still got plenty of snow and it’s a whopping 12 degrees F at the moment!
But at least it doesn’t ruin your hair!
I share your desire for sunshine and bikini-wax-inspiring adventures! It’s 20 in NYC this morning.
You poor thing!
YUM!!! kale is by far my favorite veggie! this salad looks delish!
That recipe looks great, I love kale chips but haven’t been adventurous enough to use it any other way. Can’t wait to try it!
The weather around here has been miserable too. Below 30 degrees…. I want spring sooo bad!
I actually like this salad BETTER than kale chips.
Oh Momma Pea….. I sympathize! Except instead of thunder/rain, I have SNOW, frozen and icy (yes ICE) sidewalks, cold wind…. It is supposed to get better by the end of this week. Nothing says “Spring” like dirty snow, winter jackets, mitts, hats, scarfs and literally shivering from the freezing wind. Numb hands are not fun!
Barbara
I know. I feel terrible complaining when it seems like the mid-west/East coast have had nothing but SNOW!
Ugh…I hate post-vacation depression!!! I suffered it pretty badly after our spring break this year…I just want it to be summer!!!
I know what we’re having for dinner. Hubs and I got our first CSA delivery Friday…a bag of collard greens and two bags of kale. We’ve only made kale chips because I have no idea what to do with the rest of it, but here we are!
Sorry about the bad weather. I guess I’ll know what that’s like soon enough. It’s not too pretty over here in South Carolina right now either, though.
Looking forward to more of your vacation recipes!
I hope you love this salad. Let me know!!!
We have been having soggy Spring days in MN too — I so want it to be warm soon!!!
The salad looks delicious and those tulips are beautiful!
Did you write “hi mom” after the protein because she’s worried about your protein intake?
If you did, that makes me laugh. I’m sick of the cold weather. It’s sunny here, but the temps are FREEEEZING. Stupid Chicago.
Yup! “But where do you get your protein????”
What I LOVE about your recipes – LOVE – is that 99.5% of the time, all the ingredients are in my cupboards, so inspiration isn’t far. I can’t WAIT for your book!
mmm! i am always scared of kale!
I think you (and I) need to move to Florida. I was just there a few weeks ago and it was warm and sunny and beautiful and wonderful every single day.
Thanks for this recipe! My nutritional yeast is supposed to be arriving today and I have two heads of kale to use up — I was planning on making a gazillion kale chips but this recipe looks amazing!
Oh yes! Please try it!!!
that salad looks perfect and compbines two of my favorite things kale + tahini. I will definitely be making this! once you get a taste of sunshine, it’s so hard to go back to blah weather!! I’m not even hoping for summer anymore here in NYC; all I ask is that spring behave like spring!!!
I have made the kale salad on True Food’s website and veganized it by using nutritional yeast. It was very good, but this sounds even better. I have kale in the fridge…I am soooo making this today!
I subbed the tahini for the olive oil, cut it way back and used water for the rest of the oil. Their salad is delicious, but if you add that much oil and cheese to anything, I think it would taste good.
My favorite kind of kale! Yum! That dressing sounds awesome!
I’m with you on ditching the kid-sized umbrella. Those things are just pointy weapons prettily disguised. My daughter rarely uses her umbrella to cover her head from the rain, but happily uses it every chance she gets to spin around, wave it around, and generally make everyone within a six-foot radius dive for cover.
And once the plastic protective tips come off the spokes, then it REALLY is dangerous…but somehow it never gets thrown out!
We had it open in the car yesterday. I told the girls it would be bad luck and Gigi said, “Yes, you’ll never get the leprechaun’s gold now!!!”
What?!????
That salad is making me drool. And it’s morning. I love dinosaur kale, if for no other reason than it has the word dinosaur in it. Who said vegetables aren’t cool?!
It sure wasn’t me!
How great is that last picture?! That’s one to use at their weddings
I love love love kale. I had it last night w/ a little ACV/stevia dressing mix i made. SO GOOD.
By the way–the donuts came out phenomenal. I meant to write you over the weekend and forgot. Definitely (another) winner!!!
xoxo mama P!
Having been born and raised near Portland I can’t ever imagine leaving. Then again, my husband and I talk about moving starting about January and lasting until about May….
I can’t stand kale, but I might actually like it this way!
I’m not sure I could ever leave either. Today’s weather is much more tolerable.
I make a similar salad and you are right: it is pretty amazing. Like when you eat it you swear you can feel the nutrients smacking your sad chemicals to the floor. Or at least that’s what I imagine.
We’ve even had some gloomy weather here in LA lately! Not enough gloominess to justify complaining about it, but gloomy nonetheless.
I’ll try anything that involves lemon!
Yum! That looks so good. I’ve been trying to think of new ways to sneak kale into my diet, other than just kale chips!
I need some sunshine too. Where are you, spring weather? I love that last photo of the girls!
I love dinosaur kale! …and your dressing here sounds like something I could really enjoy. Nooch is def not optional in this house!!
Hmm…just bought a bunch of kale. Might try this salad out, it looks delicious!
I like how you specify ‘clean’ hands. Spoken like a mom who has gone through potty training twice.
I eat a lot of kale, but have yet to massage it into a salad. I better go wash my hands and get going….
Amen, sister.
Eeek, I am dreading that post-vacay feeling when I get back from CA in mid April. I’ve already started gearing up with the sunglasses, sunscreen and bikini wax such as you mentioned above.
But then again, I’m going to NORTHERN CA…to see my PARENTS…so I guess I can cross all three off the packing/to-do list unless I want to go to water aerobics with Mom.
Actually, I can still cross all 3 off the list.
Ha ha. Oh gosh, you never fail to make me laugh.
Oh, spring. Come to me!! It’s time!! I AM craving vegetables like a madwoman, though, which definitely means that the seasons are changing. Can you believe I’ve never massaged kale? Need to get on that!
What?! What have you been doing with your life? Get crackin!
great color for those chop sticks
My hiding place for things like kid sized umbrellas- the trash can, after they go to bed. Deceptive I know, but I’m sure the kids like having a sane mommy rather then the crazy-stressed-I’ve heard way to much fighting and been poked by the umbrella way too many times mommy. Really kids- I don’t know where that train whistle went. . .
Ha ha ha ha. The trash can is the first place Gigi looks.
If it makes you feel any better, it’s been raining here in Hawaii for the past month!
I love how I’m eating my kale lunch reading your kale post
I have been feeling blah too thanks to the dreary weather we’ve been having. Unfortunately, I just didn’t get back from a sunny vacation!:( But maybe this kale salad will bring a little sunshine to my day too! I can’t wait to try it. Thanks for sharing!:)
Hope you enjoy it, Carrie!
Tahini is my favorite salad fat ever. Move over olive oil! This salad has me salivating!
Sorry you’re in a post-vacay letdown though. Go see Rango–it’s funny!
Oh no! Pea Daddy wants to see it
I totally agree with you about the tahini, though.
This recipe is exactly the push I need to try kale!!! Once my spring mix is out I am high-tailing it to WF and getting myself some!
It would be cool if you could winter in Phoenix and Summer in Oregon because I think it gets up to like 116 or 120 in Phoenix in Summer. My Phoenix relatives used to lament, “Why do we live here?!” Then they moved. That kale salad looks so healthy.
Now you’re thinking!
That is exactly why we vacation in the Pacific Northwest and NOT sunny beachy places. As much as I love our weather here, sometimes you need a break from squinting.
My favorite topping for massaged kale salad? Hummus, especially from Pita Jungle (Jalepeno Cilantro is my favorite)
I have all the ingredients to try to remake that hummus!
I tried (and failed) to explain what kale tastes like to my mom over the phone today. Maybe I’ll link her to this recipe and get her checked in to its’ wonderment:-)
Ooo that kale salad looks fabulous! I’d never heard of kale til I saw kale chips on your site (gasp!), but now I’m a little obsessed.
I like the salad better than chips!!!
This sounds really good–it will be a nice change from just eating kale in the form of chips!
I hear you on the weather. So much for a sunny spring break!
It could be worse – you could have 4 feet of snow on the ground…which must melt before spring can ever come. Except it keeps snowing, and snowing, and snowing…*sigh*
This recipe looks delightful – and very springy indeed!
I just made this and subbed out the tahini for a dollop of hummus (didn’t have tahini) and added a few other veggies (chopped romaine, carrots, celery, parsley, sundried tomatoes) and crispy tofu. Such a delicious dinner! This dressing will be a mainstay, I’m sure.
Oh, I’m so glad!
Love dino kale!! Actually I love all kale
Yes take that spring!!
All this time I’ve been buying the wrong kale. Thank you Mama Pea for showing me the light.
1. This will be serving 1. Not 2-4.
2. I’m obsessed with tahini + noosh.
3. I also think I’ve been buying the wrong kale. Who knew!? Thank you!
I MUST make this today. However, I have no tahini or lemons, but won’t stop me!!!
oh oh OH!!! Just made an adapted version and it’s OUTstanding!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!
Hi mamape, I’ve had my eye on this recipe for aaaages and now the sun has actually come out I’m gonna make it! But do you have a basic baked tempeh recipe? I have a package in the freezer but I’ve never had it before and I’m a bit unsure how to prepare it… Then o saw you suggested it to make this a meal and thought it could be the perfect opportunity to discover something new! Any tips?
Okay, so… I made this less than an hour ago, and what have I got to say for it? W-e-l-l… I don’t go back and comment too often on blog recipes that I’ve tried, even if they’re outstanding, but this one… Seriously. This one is so amazing that it deserves only five hundred trillion gold stars. Or platinum stars. Whichever you prefer?
I love kale, like many others, but perhaps I couldn’t call myself a true kale fan before, since I couldn’t stand it raw. Unfortunately my blender cannot tolerate it, so I hadn’t even tried it raw in smoothie form. A previous massaged kale salad that I tried flubbed, so I was doubtful, to say the least, when giving this one a go. But it’s been dreary for days over here in Vancouver, and I needed a little ‘sunshine’ in some form… That, and black kale (apparently what we call Italian or dino kale over here) has been on sale at Whole Foods for a week, and I’ve got a leftover head of it that I didn’t want to make into more kale chips.
As you would say, MamaPea: Oh. My. Peas. This was so out-of-this-world-delicious that my veggie-hating brother, when he spotted me eating this right out of the humongous bowl it had sat in for a mere five or so minutes, joined me in scarfing the entire thing down at the counter. Yeah yeah, I know we shouldn’t be eating standing up, but… It. Was. Just. TOO. Delicious.
Thank you – SO much – for such an unbelievably tasty creation. I have a feeling I will not be defaulting to kale chips when I purchase that leafy green, now… AND that I will be buying it more often, just for the sake of making this salad.
Again… Just amazing.
Jenny. Thank you. I forgot how much I love this salad until you reminded me, and now I must make it again. And again. And again.
So I made this last night right before bed and just tasted it this morning. WOW. Thought about eating it for breakfast but already had oats on the stove. I want it to be lunch time! Great simple recipe! Thanks so much. I didn’t change a thing other than just eyeballing the dressing ingredients. It was too late to measure
Oh good! You must have been in on Isa’s tweets yesterday
I made this for dinner tonight. DEEEElicious! And I love that it’s such simple ingredients! I had everything on hand.
Oh my gosh the head of kale in my fridge is just screaming at me right now to make this!! So simple and easy, thanks
Would love to hear what you think if you try it!
Aaaaaand I’m hooked!! For some weird reason I’ve never really been able to get into eating kale raw, but this is a game-changer for sure, thanks so much! =)