Token Kale Salad

Serves 4 as a side or 2 as a main As the saying goes, “You don’t make friends with salad” — until you do. This kale and pesto salad is so beyond run-of-the-mill. Pasta sauce on salad? Why didn’t anyone think of this earlier? It’s a match made in BFF heaven. It’s delicious on its own, but let’s face it: salad is a sad meal, so pair it with a burger (pages 209 to 213) or a hearty bowl of Half-Baked Mac and Cheese (page 170). Now, that’s what I call balance.

Ingredients

4 cups shredded dinosaur kale 1 L
2 tbsp extra virgin  olive oil 30 mL
1-1/2 cups Presto Pesto  (see recipe, below) 375 mL
1/2 cup grape tomatoes halved 125 mL
1/2 cup diced red bell  pepper 125 mL
1/4 cup finely diced red onion 60 mL
2 tbsp nutritional yeast 30 mL
1 tbsp hemp seeds 15 mL
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped cashews 60 mL

Instructions

In a large bowl, drizzle kale with olive oil and massage leaves with your hands. Add pesto and continue to massage, until kale is completely coated. Add tomatoes, red pepper and red onion to salad. Sprinkle with nutritional yeast, hemp seeds and sea salt and pepper to taste. Toss well to combine and top with cashews to serve.

Recipe Notes

Hack It! It might seem a bit strange to massage your food, but you’ll be amazed at what a quick five-minute rubdown can do. Take handfuls of kale and rub them together. Play some spa music, for the full effect. As you massage, you will start to notice the leaves getting darker in color and becoming silky in texture. The longer you massage your kale, the more it will break down and become less bitter. Massage kale with pesto or dressing of choice and refrigerate up to 48 hours in advance.