Massaged Kale Salad with Nutritional Yeast
Massaged kale salad with nutritional yeast is an umami lover's dream. Massaging the kale makes it perfectly tender with a pleasing crispness. The simple but bold dressing comes together right in the bowl.
Calories: 109kcal
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch curly kale
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about one medium lemon)
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ¼ cup (20 grams) nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Tear the kale leaves from their stems and break into bite-sized pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly. (Discard stems or save for juicing or pesto.)
- Sprinkle the oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper over the kale and use your hands to massage the dressing into the leaves. Do this however you like — you really can't go wrong. In a minute or two, you'll have a tender, delicious salad.
- Sprinkle with the nutritional yeast for a pop of umami that beautifully complements the earthy kale, fruity olive oil and tangy lemon juice.
Notes
- Massaging the lemon juice, olive oil and salt into the kale leaves tenderizes them so much that curly kale suddenly makes sense for a salad. You can use lacinato or another flat-leaf kale if you prefer it.
- Nutritional yeast is a deactivated form of yeast. It’s typically made from the single-celled organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae, grown on molasses and then harvested, washed, and dried with heat. This “deactivates” the yeast, meaning it can’t grow or leaven baked goods. Nutritional yeast is a great source of vitamins and minerals. It’s vegan and naturally gluten-free.
- Thinking of bulk up your kale salad into a one-bowl meal? Great idea. For protein, try chickpeas, black beans, grilled shrimp, chicken, or steak, or smoked chicken sausages. Cooked frozen corn, olives, halved cherry tomatoes, a diced red bell pepper, shredded carrot, diced avocado, and/or diced cucumber make great vegetable additions. And if you're in the mood for cheese, try crumbled feta, grilled diced halloumi, shredded extra-sharp cheddar, or grated pecorino or parmesan.
- Kale holds much better than lettuce, so if you need to, you can make this salad up to a few hours in advance and toss in the nutritional yeast just before serving.Fully dressed leftovers keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for about a day.
Nutrition
Calories: 109kcal | Carbohydrates: 9.3g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 7.5g | Fiber: 2.5g