I don't know if anyone else has this problem, but I am really not the best at putting together salads. Finding the right dressing to go with my toppings actually stresses me out more than it should. Which is why I love this base for a salad so much. Massaging the kale makes the leaves so much much softer, makes the flavor less bitter, and makes it a lot easier for our bodies to digest. I personally love kale in my salads because it is one of the only bases that actually has flavor on its own. Pre-making a big batch of this has saved me so much time, and I don't have to worry about pairing it with a dressing anymore.
You can really put whatever toppings you want on your salad because the kale massaged in olive oil, sea salt, and lemon juice is so versatile. It takes on flavors really well, and if you wanted to add a little drizzle of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar go for it. This salad base also goes really nicely with roasted vegetables and a protein like shrimp, chicken, turkey, really whatever you're feeling that day. This recipe is for the base, but the salad below is just an example of some of the usual toppings I like put on mine.
Pictured: soft boiled egg, hemp seeds, roasted cashews, avocado, and an extra sprinkle of black pepper
Optional Salad Toppings (just some of my favs)
soft boiled eggs, turkey, shrimp, salmon, rotisserie chicken
roasted & crushed nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, etc)
hemp seeds
avocado
roasted vegetables (carrots, sweet potato, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, etc)
Ingredients
1 to 2 bunches green kale
2-4 tsp olive oil (depending on how much you make, I used 2 tsp for one bunch)
1/4 tsp sea salt
sprinkle of black pepper
juice of one lemon
optional: sprinkle of smoked paprika, 1 tsp hemp seeds
Steps
Strip kale leaves from stem (you can use your hands or an herb stripper)
Wash and dry well, then cut any leaves that seem too large
Add kale and all ingredients to a large bowl, massage gently until kale is more soft and everything is evenly distributed, about 5-10 minutes
Add toppings or store in an air tight container in the fridge for up to a week
