Kale and Avocado Salad

Long-time followers of Mississippi Vegan might recognize this Kale and Avocado Salad from my first cookbook. And because it’s such an easy, go-to recipe (and because I’m the sweetest little thing), I decided that it needed to live on the blog. Now let me tell you why I love this salad. First, it transforms raw kale from being chalky and not very pleasant to succulent and juicy. Second, it comes together in a snap! Just a few ingredients, one bowl, and a little elbow grease will leave you with a delightful and nutrient-dense kale salad. Perfect to eat as a snack, to serve as a side salad, or to add to bowls and wraps. Also, did I mention that this salad is oil-free? It’s true. And you’d never know.

KALE TIP

I love using green curly kale for this salad, but any kind will work. (Lacinato or purple would both be lovely!) Then, to rinse the kale, I like to add it to a large bowl of water, submerging the leaves. Then swish them around nice and good to remove any dirt or buggies and drain. Shake the leaves around in the sink and then place them on a towel to drip dry. One tip to mention is adding some ice to the water bath and letting the kale soak for a few minutes. This isn’t necessary but if your kale is looking sad and wilted, it will help to refresh it. (Also, you can do this trick with any greens!)

PREPPING YOUR KALE

Once your kale is looking nice and fresh, it’s time to prep. To remove the stems (which you’ll want to do because they are not desirable to eat), you can lay each leaf flat on a cutting board and slice along both sides of the stem. You can also use your fingers by holding each leaf by the stem and using your other hand to pull the leaves off either side. You just pinch the stem just above the leaves and pull down to tear them off. After the stems are removed, you can roughly chop or tear the kale. No precise knife-work needed here. Lastly, as you are massaging, you can always tear any larger pieces of kale into smaller ones, if need be.

MASSAGING YOUR KALE

For best results, I like to massage the kale twice in this recipe. First, we add the seasonings: nutritional yeast, flaky sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, minced or grated garlic (or garlic powder if you want to make this dish even easier!), and an optional pinch of crushed red pepper flakes. Then you’ll use your hands to massage the kale, squeezing and pressing it for a minute or two. You want it to look glossy and reduce in volume a bit. This greatly improves the flavor and texture.

PICKING THE PERFECT AVOCADO

Hass avocados are the only option for this Kale and Avocado Salad. (Don’t even think about grabbing one of those big watery ones or we’ll be in a fight.) If you’d like to make this recipe a few days after shopping, I suggest buying a more firm avocado and if you’d like to make it the same day, grab one that slightly gives when pressed. Surely, a perfectly ripe avocado is essential for this recipe to be as delicious as possible. Use your noodle and get you a good one! Hot tip: If an avocado feels ripe and you are not ready to use it, you can pop it in the fridge and it will prevent it from going brown for a few days.

FINAL STEP

Once you’ve added your perfectly ripe avocado to the kale, it’s time for one more massage. I like to leave the avocado in very large pieces when I add it, because you’ll use your hands to massage it into the kale. The bigger the pieces are to start, the more likely you’ll be able to keep some noticeable chunks of avocado after everything is combined. Once the kale is fully dressed with mashed avocado, it’s done. Just try a bite and add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. That’s it!

OPTIONAL KALE SALAD ADD-INS

This salad is a perfect canvas for more substantial add-ins and flavorful garnishes. I like adding in roasted tofu, chickpeas, or squash to bulk it up a bit. Or to bump up the flavor, you could add fresh, thinly sliced radishes, sun-dried tomatoes, or a sprinkling of your favorite toasted nuts or seeds. (Edible flowers are also always welcome as a beautiful garnish!) In my first cookbook, I styled it with some gorgeous radishes and society garlic on a piece of sourdough toast. Have fun with it!

KALE SALAD SERVING SUGGESTIONS

This Kale and Avocado Salad is delicious on its own and, because it’s so simple, it’s a wonderful salad to serve alongside basically any meal. But if you’re looking to get creative with it, there are countless ways to incorporate it into different dishes. You can use it to bulk up some avocado toast, place it in a wrap along with some hummus, or try it alongside my Apricot Glazed Tempeh. That said, it also works nicely with some crispy tofu and roasted chickpeas. (You can check out my Curried Rice Salad recipe for a quick run-down on how to make roasted chickpeas.) And one of my favorite add-ins to this salad would be roasted butternut squash (as you can see in the image above).

RECIPES THAT PAIR WELL WITH THIS KALE AND AVOCADO SALAD

Pantry Pasta

Sourdough Focaccia

Fried Caper Panzanella

And there you have my Kale and Avocado Salad! I can’t wait to hear what y’all think. If you do make this, please leave a comment and a rating below as this greatly helps my recipes to be seen. Lastly, if you share it on social media, please tag me. I love to see it. Happy cooking, y’all!

-Timothy

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Food styling, photography, and recipe by Timothy Pakron
Text by Hannah Kearing and Timothy Pakron