How to Soften Kale for Unforgettable Salads

We show you how to soften kale and make it tender and tasty instead of chewy and bitter. Get all the nutritious benefits of super food kale deliciously.

You have to be living under a rock if you haven’t noticed how popular kale has become. You will find it in in a smoothie, in a frittata, in pies, in pasta as kale chips, in a salad and the list goes on! Unfortunately, this Supergreen has a tendency to be unpalatable if not prepared correctly.

Do I Really Need to Massage My Kale to Soften It?

While this may seem like an odd thing to do to this vitamin-packed leafy green it helps break down the tough structure and gives kale a smoother texture and softer flavour.

By massaging kale you will soften the leaves and makes them easier to chew and digest. It also helps release sugars to balance its bitterness for a much tastier salad.

How to Massage Kale

• Either rip the leafy parts of the kale from the ribs or cut them off with a knife, then discard the ribs.
• Place your kale leaves in a large bowl and add two tablespoons of olive oil and a teaspoon of sea salt on top and gently rub the leaves together for approximately 3 minutes. Don’t overdo it as you don’t want your kale to turn to mush.
• What I prefer to do for my salad recipes is to make the dressing or vinaigrette and then use it to massage the kale. This not only softens your kale so that it is more palatable but it also has the added benefit of letting the kale soak up the deliciousness of your dressing.

What To Do Instead of Massaging to Soften Kale

If the thought of massaging your kale is unappealing, then you have three alternatives:

1. You can shred the kale finely or chop it into small pieces and let the dressing take care of making it tender. But make sure you make your salad at least an hour or more in advance to allow the kale leaves to soften.
2. You can just mix the raw kale leaves (ribs removed) with your dressing and let them soften overnight in your fridge.
3. You can just make your salad well ahead of serving time and let the citrus and vinegar break down the leaves and make them softer.

Ready to Try Some Kale Salads?