Something crazy happened last weekend.
It was in the back seat of the car while we were driving.
My kids got into a big argument, which wasn’t the crazy part.
The crazy part was the subject of the argument.
I nearly had to pull over to verify that I was hearing correctly.
They were bickering…
over kale salad.
Not as in, “I’m not going to eat that!” sort of arguing.
No, as in “Hey, you ate all the kale salad….there’s hardly any left for me” type of arguing.
The sort of fighting usually reserved for chocolate cake or cotton candy.
Not kale.
It was a salad we picked up for lunch on our way home from a weekend away. It’s sold at New Leaf, a market in Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles down the coast.
I wanted to work out the magic behind the recipe. Argument-inducing kale bears imitating. The core essentials are lemon juice and something called Bragg Liquid Aminos. If you’re unfamiliar with Bragg, it’s unfermented soy, similar in flavor to soy sauce, sold in health food stores and organic markets. The salty, lemony combination effectively tenderizes the kale and tames the texture.
Beyond that, the salad features sliced red onion along with roasted sunflower and pumpkin seeds. The grated carrots were my own addition, giving the greens extra color and crunch. Buying pre-chopped, bagged kale and pre-grated carrots takes nearly all of the work out of this recipe, which is best made a day ahead.
I served it for dinner and watched my people take down six cups of kale in one sitting. Yes indeed, a kale salad kids love
If it turns out your children don’t like this salad, I’m guessing you will, and since it keeps for several days in the fridge, you’ll be good for greens for the better part of the week.
Just don’t serve it in the car.
Who eats kale salad in the car anyway?
(for the record, my kids never bicker or snack in the car.)
Really.
Kale Salad Kids Love
Ingredients
- 6 cups roughly chopped kale (tough stems removed)
- 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Bragg Liquid Aminos
- 2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil or extra-virgin olive oil
- Pinch salt
- 1/2 large red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 coarsely grated carrots
- 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds (salted or unsalted)
- 1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds (salted or unsalted)
Instructions
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Put the kale, Bragg Liquid Aminos, lemon juice, sesame oil, and salt in a big bowl and use your hands to mash the kale for a good minute, mixing it with the liquids. Add the onion, carrots, sunflower seeds, and pumpkin seeds and toss well.
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Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, ideally overnight. Stir again just before serving.
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Will keep for several days.
Adapted from New Leaf Market’s Coastal Kale Salad
