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. 
How cool! These look delicious!
This totally takes me back to childhood. We ALWAYS used fresh rhubarb from our backyard to make yummy breakfast treats!
I think I will have to make these for my parents next time they visit. They will LOVE them!
Those look amazing! I’m always on the lookout for new rhubarb recipes, the season for it is so short in Western Ma, that I tend to buy WAY too much and stick in the freezer..
I have never had rhubarb before, but these look great!
They’re so pretty – I love family recipes!
I never know what to do with Rhubard, but these looks awesome!
divine. i want one. right now. pretty please?? 🙂
I love your recipes, lactose free and awesome, I will def. have to try this. Ps. we should team up and do something lactose free together in solidarity!
Thanks everyone – seriously if you have rhubarb hanging around. Make these. You won’t regret it.
I’m a little lost. The ingredients list mentions 5 c. rhubarb (and you break it into 3 c. for the filling and 2 c. for the sauce) but I don’t see in the step-by-step instructions when/where/how the 2 c. of rhubarb are used. Please help!
Thanks!
alexandjess – thanks for catching my mistake. I added the instructions about the sauce into the post, but you make the sauce by boiling 2 cups cut rhubarb, 1 cup sugar, 1 1/3 cups water. The rhubarb for the sauce can be cut in large chunks because it all falls apart anyways.
Your sisters made the rhubarb rolls and stuffed dates yesterday for our Memorial Day cookout. They were delicious!!!! Can’t wait to have another piece tonight for desert. I have a new recipe for potato salad that is delish….let me know if you want me to pass on.
i made these tonight and they went awry for a series of reasons that were my fault and won’t go all into…. one thing i did though was use half rhubarb and half strawberries, which sounded delish but i didn’t cut the sugar enough and i think that also made things more watery. my question though, is whether by ‘shortening’ you specifically mean something like crisco or whether you just mean butter or margarine or anything like that. i used butter and didn’t see how i could get away with a little ‘stirring’ before rolling. i tried to cut it in with a pastry blender, but in the end maybe that was too much action for the dough as it seemed a little gummy after cooking….
i’d appreciate any advice!
natasha – I use Crisco for the dough. I think that’s what my dad always uses as well. Hopefully that is what caused the gumminess. Sorry they didn’t turn out for you.
My family has been making these for years. I have used butter or margarine to cut into the flour mixture for the dough and have never had a problem. I always roll my dough out into a rectangle and when I cut the rolls they NEVER look as neat as the ones you have pictured! I have added strawberries but only in the sauce. My mom liked to add red food coloring to make it look more rosy. We bake for 20 minutes before pouring on the sauce and then another 20 minutes. I have to make it every spring in honor of my mom.
my grandma recipe calls thesr soringtime rollypoly, and can ad what ever frozen berries you have , frozen is the least messy
sorry thats springtime rollypolly