Learn how to make 4-Ingredient Kale Avocado Salad. It’s so simple and satisfying that it will quickly become one of your go-to recipes. The secret to this salad is massaging the kale with the lemon juice and avocado, helping to break down the greens. A delicious, oil-free, plant-based dish!
Enjoy this recipe with Southwestern Sweet Potato Black Bean Veggie Burgers, Simple Plant-Based Tomato and White Bean Vegetable Soup, Easy Red Enchilada Black Bean Mexican Casserole, or Ultimate Southwest Sweet Potato Vegan Lasagna.
Massaged Kale: The Secret to Good Salads
We all know we should get our greens and kale is one of those superfoods that is packed with plant-based nutrition. However, eating raw kale isn’t always that appealing. To be honest, with the tough texture and bitter flavor, after 2 minutes of chewing I feel more like a woodland creature than a super-fueled human!
One secret to making kale more appetizing is to massage it with acid. For this recipe for Kale Avocado Salad, lemon juice is the secret acid. This simple ingredient works to help break down the fibrous cells of the kale, to soften it, to make it tender and more palatable.
This same trick works with other acids and vinegar-based dressings. The champagne vinegar in my Lacinato Kale Waldorf Salad with Apples, Walnuts, Raisins helps tenderize the kale in that recipe. The Balsamic vinegar in my Oil-Free Balsamic Dressing can be used on any dark green. You can use any acid, though, to help soften your greens: red wine vinegar, lime juice, orange juice, rice wine vinegar, and more.
How to Massage Kale to Make it Tender
Knowing that you need acid to help tenderize the kale is the first step. The second step, though, is also crucial: massaging the greens with this acid. The best way to do this is with your hands. Once the kale and lemon juice are in the same bowl, roll up your sleeves and start giving it a good rub-down. This helps work the lemon into the cell walls of the kale and speed up the tenderization process.
For this recipe, you can do all of the mixing in one big bowl. I like having everything chopped and ready before I start massaging: kale, red bell pepper, avocado, lemon, and a touch of salt and pepper. Then, as I’m massaging the kale, I can also work on mashing up the avocado to get it well-incorporated into the salad.
One Massaged Greens Technique: Many Uses
Now that you know this simple technique for massaging your kale, you can use this on a variety of salad greens. Try it when using chopped chard or spicy arugula. Use it on different varieties of kale (like purple kale, Dino kale, or baby kale). Or, just experiment with it on sweet spinach.
Chef Katie’s Plant-Based Cooking Tips:Â
Microplane For Easy Zesting: Use a microplane to zest the lemon. This tool helps remove all of the zest without any of the bitter white part. You need all of the zest and then all of the juice from the lemon.Â
Kale Variety: You can use any variety of kale for this salad: curly, purple, Lacinato, or baby. Â Whatever looks good at the market!
Watch this Video to Learn about Curly Kale vs. Lacinato:
4-Ingredient Kale Avocado Salad (Oil-Free, Vegan)
Print Recipe
Simple Kale Avocado Salad (Oil-Free, Vegan)
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale stemmed and chopped
- 1 red bell pepper seeded and diced
- 1 lemon zest and juice
- 1 avocado pitted and diced
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Combine everything in a massive bowl.
- Roll up your sleeves. Use your hands to mash up the avocado into the kale. Massage the salad for about 1 minute. You want a nice creaminess. Taste to adjust seasoning. Enjoy!
Nutrition Facts
Amount Per Serving (1/4 recipe, about 1 1/2 cups salad)
Calories 119.93
Calories From Fat (52%) 62.2
% Daily Value
- Total Fat 7.46g 11%
- Saturated Fat 1g 5%
- Cholesterol 0mg 0%
- Sodium 321.8mg 13%
- Potassium 652.69mg 19%
- Total Carbohydrates 14.33g 5%
- Fiber 4.83g 19%
- Sugar 1.38g
- Protein 4.36g 9%
- Calcium 139.27mg 14%
- Iron 109.32mg 607%
- Vitamin A 11381.95IU 228%
- Vitamin C 20.79mg 35%
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