A Christmas Kale Salad
This is a festive spin off my famous kale salad recipe. This kale pomegranate salad (aka Christmas Salad) is super easy to put together, and makes for totally healthy and festive option for the holidays. It also serves as a side for almost any type of dish, so if you’re looking to get in your greens over the holidays this is the perfect option! I promise everyone I’ve made this salad for has LOVED it, even if they’re not a big kale fan. It’s quickly turned into a fan favorite among my family and friends and I’m sure it will for yours, too!
Delicious, Nutritious AND Only 6 Ingredients!
Aside from the nutritional benefits, what’s so great about this salad is how SIMPLE it is. It only has 6 main ingredients!
Kale: I use curly kale (read more below) but any type is great.
Oil: I always use avocado oil, but olive oil is a great option too.
Lemon juice: this adds a great tangy flavor bringing the salad to life.
Salt: duh! I typically use pink Himalayan sea salt, but any good quality salt works.
Nutritional yeast: this is the kicker and what makes this salad stick out among the rest. If you’ve never had nutritional yeast before, it’s a non-dairy, cheesy topping and it’s super high in protein. I use it ALL the time.
Pomegranate seeds: this gives the salad a fun, colorful, festive twist and also adds great flavor.
There are a few different types of kale you typically see in the grocery store or at the farmers market, but the one I used in this recipe is curly kale. This type of kale is the more “traditional” kale that you’re probably picturing - it’s lighter green, rigid and looks curly! It does come in a darker, red version as well which has the same exact nutrients. Curly kale is versatile and works great used raw, lightly cooked, or massaged which is why it’s perfect for this salad.
The nutritious benefits of kale (and most leafy greens for that matter) are plentiful, but I think the most notable is that it’s high in vitamin A, C and K. Vitamin K is a nutrient that our bodies need to stay healthy. It plays an important role in blood clotting, building healthy bones, and regulating calcium levels in our blood. Kale is a great food to add to your diet and there are so many ways to do so, but a super easy massaged salad is a perfect place to start.
How to Make This Salad
Like I mentioned, it couldn’t be easier. Even if you’ve never stepped foot into a kitchen, this salad is your jam. First, de-stem the kale by removing the curly kale pieces from the stem and tear it into smaller, bite sized pieces (I just use my hands!). Add all the kale to a large salad bowl, then just put your dressing ingredients directly on it! I usually do the oil first, follow by the lemon, salt, then nutritional yeast. Once it’s all on there, I’ll use my hands to “massage” the kale which literally just means getting your hands in there and squeezing the kale between your palms and rubbing the leaves together until the kale is soft and tender. This makes it easier to digest and tastes better!
INGREDIENTS
4 cups chopped kale
2 tablespoons oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
INSTRUCTIONS
Remove the kale from the stem. Start at the bottom of the leaf and then tear the leaves off the stem in an upward motion. Next, tear those bigger pieces into smaller pieces and add them right to the bowl.
Then, directly to the bowl of kale add your oil, lemon juice, sea salt and nutritional yeast. Massage with your hands for about 1 minute until the kale is nice and soft.
Top with the pomegranate seeds and hemp seeds, then serve immediately or let sit for about an hour. If you make this ahead of time, you can just place it covered in the fridge for a day or two (but I recommend it fresh!).