It’s said that eating raw kale can make you feel as if your mouth is being assaulted by a giant tree. Avoid this by massaging the kale leaves, softening both the texture and the flavour of this sturdy vegetable, while retaining the nutrients. Even non-salad lovers / men tend to come back for seconds, after a suspicious first mouthful!
This is a basic recipe, but very versatile, so try changing it up with some of the variations at the end. It’s great as a side dish for BBQd and grilled meats. And because kale can hold its own, it doesn’t wilt in warm weather like lettuce can, and it keeps well in the fridge for a couple of days.
For 4 people you will need: about 6 kale leaves, fresh Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO), sea salt, a mango, 100gm (Tasmanian) feta cheese, ground black pepper.
METHOD
- Wash the kale well.
- Remove the central ribs and roughly slice the leaves.
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- Fold the leaf in half…
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- … and cut out the rib…
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- … then slice the leaves.
- Place the sliced leaves in a large bowl with 3 tbsp EVOO and a pinch of sea salt.
- Massage the kale with your fingers for about 3 minutes, until it “wilts”, becoming softer and bright green in colour.
- Add the chopped flesh of the mango and the feta cheese.
- Mix to combine with another 3 tbsp of EVOO, and salt and pepper to taste, then rest for at least 30 minutes in the fridge to allow the flavours to mingle.
And finally, if your bunch of kale has gone a bit wilty, treat it like a bunch of flowers. Chop a bit off the bottom of the stems and stand in some water. I keep mine standing in a glass of water in the fridge and it’ll last for a week 🙂 FFx
Great recipe, and thanks for including the variations.
Thanks Hilda. I like the fact that you can always find something in season to add to it.
I love kale! I like mixing it with ceviche! Will try the variations. Thank you.
Oooh ceviche sounds like a great addition. Do you make your own? It’s one (of many) things on my list to have a go at!
Oh I wish! My sister makes it and gives me some.
WUNDERBAR, Fi !!! – kale is something I want to eat, but never know what the bloody hell to do with ! [grin]
This looks absolutely fantastic, and if I hadn’t just got back from the IGA, I’d be off to buy some kale.
I believe I shall go to Paddy’s tomorrow morning EARLY. By light rail. That’ll be fun.
But if this salad turns out not to be as terrific as it looks, you’re in trouble … 😀
It will be terrific! Even my husband likes it, and the look on his face when I first set it down was like “Seriously, you expect me to eat all this… this GREEN stuff!” Enjoy your outing tomorrow morning 🙂
And will report back … [she added, only slightly threateningly]
😀
I am not at all nervous! Ha! ;-P
Well, this was very timely. I just got a bunch of kale in my fruit and veg box. Definitely making this tomorrow. YUM! 🙂
Hooray! Let me know how you get on 🙂
Hi Fi! I made this salad tonight and OH MY GOSH! So YUM! Even my non-feta-eating 15-year-old ate a serving without leaving ANY little white squares on his plate! Weird thing – I stopped at the supermarket after rowing this morning to buy milk and thought I might as well pick up the mango and feta while I was at it. BOTH were on special! (And I mean the Tasmanian Feta!) Then, super-weird thing – the mango deal was a 2-for so I bought two. I counted my kale leaves and I had 12. With a 200g packet of feta I had EXACTLY enough to double the recipe. (Always a good idea with three teenage boys in the house.) Thanks for the recipe. So easy and so divine. We’ll definitely be doing it again with summer on its way. 🙂
Hooray! On all counts… it seems the shopping and cooking stars were aligned. I’m so pleased to hear it was a success 🙂 And even though my husband likes it, I’m slightly surprised you got it past teenage boys!!
They are rather unusual teenage boys. Love fruit and vegetables and if you asked them to pick their favourite takeaway they’d probably pick Japanese or Thai. 🙂
Long may it last!
I don’t often eat kale raw. I usually add it to soups and stews. But this sounds yummy and won’t have that tree-like texture. I’ll have to try it. Thanks for the recipe and tips 🙂
The lack of tree-ish-ness is a HUGE bonus with this!