We’re bringing a Massaged Kale & Sweet Potato Salad to work. If you’ve never massaged your kale and you’re a little weirded out by the notion, hear us out please. Raw kale can be tough to love unless it’s given a few minutes to bathe in a glorious dressing. Think of it as a spa day for your greens. By going in with bare (clean!) hands and giving that kale some TLC, it turns those hardy leaves into a tender and scrumptious salad. The beauty of this method is that it can be dressed ahead of time, allowing the flavors to meld.
We’ve used a tahini & lemon dressing today to perk up that kale, but a quick massage with some extra virgin olive oil, vinegar or lemon, and salt works too.
Bringing lunch to work is so much easier and enjoyable with this handy-dandy, and not to mention, gorgeous 'To Go Bowl' from Villeroy & Boch which we can’t get enough of! The lid can serve as a second plate, and the rubber fastening keeps everything in its place. We feel some office envy coming on!
Ingredients for 2:
1 sweet potato, peeled and cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes
Drizzle of olive oil for roasting
1 bunch of kale, washed and leaves stripped from the stems
Fresh salad vegetables such as radishes, fresh garden peas, scallions, peppers, sliced or diced
Nuts for protein, we used cashews
Cilantro or any fresh herb you have on hand
Crumbled goat or feta cheese
For the Tahini Lemon Dressing:
1/4 cup (45g) tahini
1/4 cup (60ml) water
1 garlic clove, minced
Zest of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Fresh parsley, chopped
Preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Peel and chop the sweet potato into evenly sized cubes. Toss in olive oil and roast on a baking tray for 30 minutes, turning halfway through. Allow to cool whilst you prepare the remaining ingredients.
For the dressing, assemble all the ingredients into a small food processor, or use an immersion blender to blitz it to a smooth dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Tear the kale leaves into bite sized pieces and drizzle a couple of spoons of dressing over the kale. Using clean fingers, massage the dressing into the leaves for a minute or so, letting that gorgeous sauce ooze into all the nooks and crannies. Chop your salad veggies of choice, and assemble it all in a bowl with your favorite toppings and the roasted sweet potatoes. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve with a side of extra dressing (always). This can be made the night before for a quick throw-in-your-bag lunch or double the portions and make ahead for a nice luncheon with friends!
