Simple Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing...

I’ll be honest, I’m feeling pretty darn lazy today. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s work, but I got up early this morning with the best intentions and an hour later I fell back asleep. After that the rest of the day was a mess, all I want to do is lay on the couch, snuggled up in a warm blanket and read.

However, the more I thought about it the more I realized that you should not have to suffer for my poor attitude today. Since the new year I’ve been trying to update Monday through Friday, and I’ve been succeeding. Last week I even posted twice on a couple of days, so I don’t want to ruin that trend now with one bad day.

Today’s recipe is rather simple, but it is also delicious, nutritious and doesn’t contain any added oil. This is a salad I made to serve alongside some leftover soup we ate Saturday night, it’s also a salad I often find myself eating while at work. It’s something I tend to gobble up at work when I’m hungry but looking for something that is oil, soy and wheat free. It always satisfies and serves as a great versatile template for any other additions you’d like to throw on top. I like to keep it simple, but to each their own

Simple Massaged Kale Salad with Avocado Dressing

1 Bunch Kale chopped into bite-sized pieces
1 Red Pepper cut into thin strips
2 Carrots gated
½ -1 Small Red Onion finely chopped
1-2 tomatoes seeded and chopped
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
A very small amount of sea salt, 1-2 dashes at most
Black pepper to taste
½ Tbsp Maple Syrup (optional)
1 Large Avocado
1-2 Garlic Cloves to taste
Dash of smoked paprika
1-2 Tbsp Water as needed

- Place the kale in a large bowl and toss with 2 tbsp of lemon juice, sea salt, and black pepper. Massage with hands until the kale begins to break down and soften slightly. About 2-4 minutes.

- Add red onion, red pepper, tomato and carrots to the kale mixture and toss to combine.

- In Food processor blend together the avocado and garlic, and remaining tbsp of lemon juice. Depending on your food processor you may also need to add in 1-2 tbsp of water to get things moving. Blend until smooth.

- Scrape the avocado mixture onto the kale salad and using either your hands or a spoon mix the avocado into the salad. Making sure to really massage it into the leaves. Add a dash of paprika and taste for seasoning.

- If it’s a bit to tart for you, you can add the ½ Tbsp of Maple Syrup or if you’d prefer use 1-2 packets of stevia. Mix again to combine and serve. Delicious!!! Kale, if you didn’t know already is a favorite food of mine, and with good reason. Enjoy.