How much do you hate kale?
My sweet fella is an avid kale-hater. You know the type. You might even be one yourself. I’ve spent the past several years trying to convince him that kale is a wonderful thing, but I had never seen him get excited about the leafy green unless it was sauteed and slathered in cheese or cooked in bacon fat. Raw kale salads were off the table for him because all of his previous experience with them involved dry, tough leaves akin to chewing paper.
Until now. <<– I bet you knew that was coming.
My Kale-Hater’s Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad is not only super tasty for kale-haters and lovers alike, but it inspired this lunch-time text from my kale-hating fella the following day:
“The kale salad is delicious, which is something I thought I would never say.”
It’s all in the preparation
Friends, this Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad is legit delicious and I’m going to tell you why. It’s all in the preparation.
I get it. I’ve had my fair share of run-ins with carboard kale and I can totally understand why someone would be put off by it when it’s prepared that way. I know so many people who grew up hating Brussels sprouts because they were eating mushy, over-steamed Brussels from a freezer bag instead of eating fresh Brussels that were roasted until they were crunchy little morsels of charred deliciousness. Others who hated eggplant (or aubergine, if you’re fancy) because the person preparing it never properly disgorged the liquid from the vegetable, and what was left was a tough, bitter dish of chewy punishment.
The way you prepare kale completely dictates whether you’re going to eat cardboard or whether you’re going to eat a bowl of super tasty greens worth converting for. This Kale-Hater’s Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad definitely falls into the latter category.
Massage those greens, honey!
The key to taking kale greens from cardboard to delicious is to massage them. I know massaging vegetables sounds a little odd, but trust me on this one. It’s a 2-minute trick that will take all the toughness out of the leaves.
All you need is a little oil, a good-quality salt, and really clean hands. I prefer to use a garlic-infused oil, but a good neutral avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil will work really well too. Simply toss the oil and salt into clean, torn kale greens and massage by hand. Within a few seconds of doing this, you should notice that the kale has already begun to soften. As you massage, the kale will darken in color and become super tender and perfect for eating raw as a salad.
Use those tender greens in a Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad
At this point, you may be tempted to eat the massaged greens straight out of the bowl sans accoutrements, and I wouldn’t judge you a single bit because I’ve done the same thing myself. But I really hope you wait long enough to step this salad up with my creamy, sweet vinaigrette, tart red raspberries, and some crunchy red cabbage because it is seriously SO GOOD.
Because kale and cabbage are both so hearty, this is one of those rare salads that you can dress completely for dinner and still enjoy the next day for lunch without it becoming a soggy mess like regular salad greens. We are a party of two and I make the full recipe specifically because it keeps so well for leftover lunches the following day.
A note for special diets
This Kale-Haters Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad is gluten-free, nightshade-free, and friendly for SIBO diets. If you make this dish sans-feta, it also fits Paleo diets.
Kale-Hater's Creamy Raspberry Kale Salad
Prep
Total
Yield 1 large salad
Ingredients
For the salad:
- 2 heads Lacinato kale (about 10 cups), destemmed and roughly chopped
- 3/4 tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp garlic oil (may sub avocado oil for this step and add in 4 cloves minced garlic after greens are massaged)
- 1/2 head red cabbage (about 4 cups), thinly chopped
- 1 cup carrots, shredded
- 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
- 3 tbsp sunflower seeds
- 1 cup fresh raspberries (to top)
- 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (to top - omit for Paleo)
For the dressing:
- 5 tbsp mayo (may sub for a thick, plain yogurt)
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp raw honey
Instructions
For the salad:
- Add kale, sea salt, and garlic oil to a large bowl. Massage by hand for about 2 minutes. The kale should shrink in volume substantially and begin to tenderize.
- Add red cabbage, carrots, green onions, and sunflower seeds. Toss to combine.
- Reserve the raspberries and feta to top the salad with after you've added the dressing.
For the dressing:
- Add mayo, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, and raw honey to a medium bowl. Whisk until fully combined.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Add the reserved raspberries an feta to the top of the salad and toss very lightly.
Courses Salads & Dressings
Cuisine Italian
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size 1/6 of salad
Amount Per Serving | ||
|---|---|---|
Calories 262 | ||
% Daily Value | ||
Total Fat 20 g | 31% | |
Saturated Fat 4 g | 20% | |
Cholesterol 24 mg | 8% | |
Sodium 576 mg | 24% | |
Total Carbohydrates 19 g | 6% | |
Dietary Fiber 6 g | 24% | |
Sugars 9 g | ||
Protein 8 g | 16% | |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
I am very excited to try this as I have yet to jump on the kale bandwagon. I know it is supposed to be good for me so I am excited to find a yummy way to do it.
Ha! Love the title! I’m not a kale hater, but a tasty dressing always helps. Like the sound of the honey-mustard one for this! Beautiful photos.
Lovely raspberries on top! I think it’s a great idea to combine raspberries and kale! Thanks for sharing 🙂
I can’t wait to try this. When prepared the right way kale can be SO tasty!
We love a kale salad and usually have some apple with it. But berries sound like a great alternative!
Apple is fantastic in kale salads! I hope you like the berries too!
Yum yum yum. I’m the opposite of a kale hater! Either way, this salad looks delicious.
Sounds pretty good. I’m not a huge fan of kale but I’m also not a hater. I’d have to find a substitution for the raspberries, though, if making it for my family (my fiancee is allergic).
Strawberries and blueberries are great alternatives if your fiancee is able to eat those instead.
This seems like such a refreshing summer salad. I do enjoy kale and think this is going to be a great addition to my salad menu. thanks for sharing.
I have never been tempted to try kale until now when I see your salad recipe. I must give it a try, I’m sure it is delicious!
I hope you do. The massaging trick is a game changer!
Definitely giving this a try. Looks so good.
oh my goodness I love all the colors of this salad. this would be perfect to bring to a summer bbq!
kale & red cabbage are two of my favorite salad ingredients so I’m sold! I’ll be trying this salad next!
Oh my goodness, just look at all those bright colors! This looks absolutely DELICIOUS! My husband is a kale-hater, so I can’t wait to try this recipe out on him 🙂 Also, thanks for the tip about massaging the kale; I had NO idea!
It’s a game changer for sure! My fella is an avid kale hater and loves this salad, so I hope your husband does too!
Cardboardy-kale is the worst! Thanks for all the great tips to prepare it correctly 🙂 I can’t wait to try this. I love everything with raspberries.
this sounds so good! It’s been so hot outside lately, so this would be fantastic to eat on our back patio 🙂
Okay, this looks like the perfect summer salad!
Yes to massaging kale — I agree that it’s key for salads! What a beautiful summer salad!
You are spot-on about the importance of massaging your kale! Great recipe, thanks!
I quite like kale, it’s the addition of raspberries that has got me curious! I’ve never thought about adding them to a salad like this but it sounds incredible!
I’m a huge kale fan and even bigger fan of sweet and savoury combos so I know this beautiful salad with kale and raspberries would be right up my alley. So perfect to bring to a summer bbq 🙂
my husband is a kale hater, but he loves raspberries. I will have to try this out on him — I don’t think I will tell him there is kale in it until after he eats it!
I ‘ve never been Kale fan. a bit bitter for me. But I can try it one more time and give it a chance. This recipe looks very promising.
The dressing really sweetens everything up. I hope you give it a go!
This salad was made for me! I love everything about it from the kale to the feta to the sunflower seeds to the raspberries. All the flavors were meant to be together in salad form. YUM
I love kale and so doesn’t my hubby! I too massage used to massage kale for years (and great tip, btw) but I’ve been buying baby kale and there isn’t a need to anymore. I can’t wait to try your delicious recipe with my baby un-massaged kale! 🙂
That sounds like a great swap!
I’m one of those kale haters (except in certain salads) so I definitely need to try this recipe!
I love the colors in your healthy salad – especially the combination with the fiber rich raspberries:)
Look how colorful this salad is! And the flavors all sound amazing together. I need to make this one.
I am always looking for a new salad since I eat them everyday. This one looks like its a winner and I will try this week! thanks
I’m all about the kale. I definitely think you have a winner with this salad.
This looks like such an awesome kale recipe! I love all of the colors in the dish!
Now this is some kale I can eat!!! This looks GREAT!
I am starting to love kale and this one is a wonderful addition to my recipes that uses it. Thank you for this! It looks tasty!
If this gets even the kale haters then I am gonna give this a go on my hubby as well! He is a big anti-kale kind of guy. Ha!
Mmmm! I love a good massage — so relaxing. So if I like it, why shouldn’t stiff, uptight kale like it too? I haven’t made a kale salad, yet. I have made kale many ways and in low calorie ways. Your salad intrigues me. I like the touch of a sweet berry to it since kale is a bit stronger than say a Romaine. I’m pinning your recipe — did you say you give massages??
I’m often a “kale hater”, but your recipe here looks like it could change my mind!
YUM! Looks so delish! I’m so making this for lunch this week, but I’m going to put a slice of grilled chicken on top!! Such a classy looking recipe!!
WOW! This salad looks as delicious as it is gorgeous. I am not in the kale-hating club so I can honestly say this looks amazing. The flavors sound to-die-for!
I was definitely on the hate side of brussel sprouts for most of my life, but I like them now! I’ve always LOVED kale, but rarely eat it raw. I’m loving all the ingredients in this salad! It looks so light and refreshing, and perfect for the warm summer months. I’m going to have to give it a try
I am a lover of all things kale so this salad is right up my taste alley! I have heard about massaging the leaves before but have never tried it, I think you’ve convinced me to give it a try. Looking forward to making this for my family.
I haven’t tried kale in salad, only as kale chips, I like you recipe may be I can try it in salad. This is not only colorful looks also delicious too.
Honestly this is too pretty to eat. This is what is called eating the rainbow?! So colorful and so gorgeous. One of the best ways to eat kale for sure. Lovely