This healthy Kale Mango Salad is a must-make recipe while mangoes are in season. It's easy to make, comes together in 5 minutes, and makes for a great light side dish, lunch, or dinner.
2tablespoonsextra virgin olive oilplus 1 teaspoon for massaging the kale
1tablespoonfreshly squeezed lemon juice
½teaspoonlemon zest
1teaspoonmaple syrup
½teaspoonsalt
¼teaspoonfreshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
Prepare The Kale Leaves
Wash kale leaves and discard the tough stem using a sharp paring knife. The most important thing to know about kale is that the stalk is nearly inedible. It is very bitter and fibrous and should be removed prior to cooking or using in a salad.
To separate kale leaves from their stalks, cut along the edge of the stalk with the tip of the sharp paring knife, or tear the leaves away with your hands.
Chop the leaves roughly. We need approx 7 oz (200 g) of chopped leaves.
Massage The Kale Leaves
Massaging the kale leaves is important to make them soft and edible. Add the chopped kale leaves to a large bowl.
Add 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil and massage the kale using your hands for 1-2 minutes until the leaves get softer and darker in color.
Make The Salad Dressing
Stir together extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, maple syrup, salt, and pepper in a small mixing bowl using a wire whisk.
Make The Salad
Pour the dressing over the kale leaves and toss well.
Add mango cubes, pecans, and cilantro to the bowl and toss well.
You can replace lemon juice and zest with orange juice and zest. You can replace maple syrup with honey if vegan is not your concern.You can add some toasted coconut flakes to this salad as a garnish. It adds a nice taste and crunch to this salad along with pecans.You can also add avocados, feta cheese, cooked quinoa, papaya, broccoli, spinach, blueberries, etc to experiment with this yummy salad and make it, even more filling and delicious.You can also add pepitas, sunflower seeds, or any other seeds for a nice crunch.To add some protein to this kale and mango salad, add some cooked shredded chicken or cooked shrimp. Vegetarian protein like edamame, chickpeas, tofu, etc also works great.