RAW POWER
A no-cook kale salad from a Manhattan health coach
Kale is undeniably winter's salad star: At restaurants, we've sampled versions that combine shredded leaves with a zesty vinaigrette and others that riff on the classic Caesar--and we loved them all. So when Your Healthiest You's Robyn Youkilis offered to share her Moroccan-inspired kale salad, we eagerly accepted.
The Manhattan-based wellness coach hooks up clients with tailor-made meal plans, shopping lists and healthy takeout options to suit their lifestyles. She softens the tough kale leaves in this much-loved salad with a quick salt-and-olive-oil massage, then tosses them with a bright, bold dressing made from lemon juice, cumin and turmeric. Crisp apples and crunchy almonds provide textural contrast and complete a salad that's helped us bring a delicious--and healthful--dining trend home with ease.
Moroccan Kale Salad
Recipe adapted from Robyn Youkilis, Your Healthiest You, NYC
Ingredients
1 bunch Tuscan kale, ribs removed and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt
Juice of half a lemon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 medium carrot, peeled and finely grated (about ½ cup)
Half a crisp apple--peeled, cored and finely chopped
¼ cup golden raisins
¼ cup sliced raw almonds
3 tablespoons pitted oil-cured olives (about 9 olives), halved
2 tablespoons hemp seeds (optional)
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
1. In a medium bowl, combine the kale with the olive oil. Sprinkle with salt. Using your hands, massage the kale until the olive oil is coating the leaves and they begin to wilt, about 1 minute.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the cumin and turmeric. Add the mixture to the kale and continue to massage the leaves until well combined.
3. Add the carrot, apple, raisins, almonds, olives and hemp seeds, if using, and toss until just combined. Season with salt and pepper. Let the salad rest for 10 minutes, then serve.
Finishing Touches
It's the details that count! Try these tips
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Tuscan kale is commonly referred to as lacinato or cavolo nero. Whether you sauté it, boil it or eat it raw, it tastes best when its center stalks are removed. Check out these tips for preparing it.
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Massaging the kale releases its sharp bite. Use this technique on other hearty greens like red-leaf cabbage and collards.
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Make this healthy salad more robust by adding whole grains like wheat berries or bulgur.
