Massaged Kale Salad with Pear and Pumpkin Seeds
Have you guys tried massaged kale salads yet? Just over a year ago, I made my first one. It was the first time I had ever even eaten kale. Since that first massaged kale salad, we’ve been eating them a LOT. You can throw almost anything in a kale salad and it’s going to be good. And the best part is that once the kale salad is dressed, it doesn’t get all soggy and nasty like a dressed lettuce salad.
This massaged kale salad with pear and pumpkin seeds has been packed in my lunch box regularly for the past couple of weeks. I get a big bag of kale on Sunday and whip out 5 salads, one for each day of the week. I love the crunch from the pear and the subtle aroma of the nutmeg in the salad. (Also, I prefer to use red pears, but when I just put pears on the list, Hubby grabbed the ones in the photos. Any kind of pear will work here)
One Year Ago: Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Upside Down Cake
Two Years Ago: Thanksgiving Two-Fer Bars
Three Years Ago: Outrageous Oreo Crunch Brownies and Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies
Four Years Ago: Potato Pancakes with Cran-Applesauce and Potato Bread (my FIRST time using yeast!)
Massaged Kale Salad with Pear and Pumpkin Seeds
Yield: Serves 5-6
Ingredients:
1 large (16 oz) bag Kale
3-4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 ripe avocado
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
5 Tbsp pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
2 red pears, chopped
Directions:
In large serving bowl, add the kale, lemon juice, and olive oil (start with just 3 Tbsp, add the last if you need it). Massage until the kale starts to soften and wilt, 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the avocado and continue to massage with your hands.
Season with salt and nutmeg. Taste kale and reseason if necessary.
Mix in the pumpkin seeds and pears. Serve or store in the refrigerator up to 5 days.
Recipe from Beantown Baker
I am Jen the Beantown Baker. Engineer by day and baking maven by night. Hubby serves as my #1 fan and official taste tester. We got hitched back in 2006. Barefoot. In the sand. With the waves crashing behind us. It was one of the best decisions we’ve ever made. 
wow..great to see a green bean casserole with ingredients that are actually found in nature! 🙂 thank you!
love,
cathy b.
I think this homemade version has to beat the pants off the one with canned mushroom soup. I mean, with portobellos and shitakes? Yes please!
I’ve only tried the “classic” green bean casserole for the first time like a month ago and I’m definitely recreating it this weekend – cream of mushroom and all! Yours, however, looks gourmet and unprocessed!
i’ve never had Green Bean casserole and want to try it so badly! I may just make the processed version to see how it tastes. Yours looks way more fabulous than I could probably ever get mine to be!
Yummmmm- well done in getting rid of the processed sections and going for the natural approach!!!! Looks delicious!
I’ve never had green bean casserole but this makes me want to try it! Yours looks really good.
home made green bean casserole! I didn’t know it was possible! 🙂 Personally I’m in the hate category… but I’d be willing to try this version 🙂
definitely looks better than the “traditional” version!!
Oooh, I am so excited about this! A friend requested green bean casserole for a small holiday party that I’m hosting, but I really, really didn’t want to make the regular version of it. This is perfect!
everything’s better homemade!
This sounds like a very useful veggie side dish come the post-Xmas dinners. I did notice recently that oriental shops also sell roasted shredded crispy onions, if you find yourself very short of time one day (they are not expensive).
Definitely the best green casserole recipe! I’ve been making Alton s recipe for years.
beantownbaker — November 24th, 2013 @ 5:51 pm
Isn’t it great?!?