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. 
Welcome to the BBs. I did cucumber towers with mine the first time I made this, then stuffed cherry tomatoes and new potatoes for a work event today.
Your pics are great. Wish I’d thought of the salt.:-)
Hi Jen,
I just discovered your blog :). I’m Sophie from Flour Arrangements. In just about a week I’ll be moving to Boston (actually Cambridge) from Austin, and I’m hoping to start a cooking group when I get there. I actually TRY to cook dairy free too (although sometimes I need a little dairy in there, ya know?); so it’d be cool to have a fellow ‘somewhat non-dairy’ foodie in the group! Drop me a comment on my blog, or even an email, if you’re interested. It’s nice meeting you!
Oh, and feel free to tell any of your friends about it :).
Sophie
Flour Arrangements
Wow, these look really good and refreshing! NIICE!
Your idea of stuffing them into tomatoes is great! And great tip on using salt!
I love how you presented the dip. Nice work!
What a wonderful idea to stuff tomatoes! These look great!
These would be fun to make. I’ll bet the hardest part was scooping out the tomatoes. They make for a delicious and colourful appetizer.
excellent use of a dip! Love the salt idea.
THIS LOOKS MARVELOUS! I need to start back again with BB now that we are settled in the new digs.