Kale is up there with nooch for most loved vegan staples. Kale is truly a super-food. You can eat it raw, saute it, or even bake it into chips. There is little this power green cannot do. Loaded with vitamins and minerals, kale is basically the king of greens in my book. Raw kale can be a little bitter though. People who say that kale is too bitter have not had well prepared kale. The trick to using raw kale is to massage it.  The quickest way to do this is when you are washing the leaves and removing the hard stem, just crumble it up in your hand and give it a few good squeezes.  Not only does this help remove excess water, but it also breaks down the cellulose that give kale its bitterness. When you are tearing the leaves for a salad, tear them into little pieces as well. This just further helps break down the cellulose. Here is a quick video showing how to do it.

There are dozens of recipes for kale salad available, and I am sure there will be more coming. So, here is another to add to your repertoire. We combine kale with sweet sun-dried tomatoes, crunchy toasted pine nuts and creamy marinated tofu to make this flavor packed kale salad.  This kale salad is great as a meal on its own or as side with an Mediterranean themed meal.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 minutes
Servings: 2-4

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, leaves rinsed and center stem removed
1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes, not oil packed
1/4 cup pine nuts
1/4 cup vegan feta cubes, homemade or store-bought
Italian vinaigrette dressing to taste, homemade or store-bought

Directions

1.  Slice sundried tomatoes into small strips. Slice strips ih half.  Place in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Set aside.

2.  While the tomatoes are rehydrating, get to work on the kale.  Tear kale leaves into a small pieces, crushing them as you go. Add the pieces to a large serving bowl.

3.  Heat a small skillet over medium heat.  Add the pine nuts and keep stirring/tossing them to avoid buring them. You want to get them to a nice golden brown.  This happens faily quickly, so don’t leave then unattended. About 2 minutes.  When toasted, add them to the kale.

4.  Drain the tomatoes and dry as a best you can.  Add them to the kale.

5.  Add almost feta tofu to the kale.

6.  Toss the salad to evenly distribute the ingredients.

7.  Add dressing and toss to evenly coat.

8.  Serve with additional dressing on the side if anyone wants more.