Barring travel or pregnancy, one thing about my diet never changes, and that is that I eat a salad (in some way shape or form) every single day. While I am an omnivore, I slip easily into phases of vegetarianism (that "phase" lasted years) and "raw food-ism" (for several weeks a year) because I love vegetables, especially raw vegetables, so very much.
I also tend to be obsessive about certain dishes and make them often for a certain period of time until something else takes its place. For about the last month or so, I've been taken with this raw kale salad that is inspired by the kale salad often found on the Whole Foods salad bar. My version, however, actually has *cough* flavor *cough*. (Don't get me started on the lowest-common denominator blandness of everything in the Whole Foods deli case.)
RAW KALE AND AVOCADO SALAD
For the dressing, you can make it as tart as you wish. If you don't want lots of lemon, use less. If you'd like it less salty, use less Bragg's. Think of these measurements as a general guideline.
You can find Bragg's Liquid Aminos at any health food store. It's sometimes described as being similar to soy sauce, but really it's not. It has it's own distinct flavor, and I find that it can overwhelm a dish if too much is added. If you are new to Bragg's, start by adding half the amount suggested to the dressing and increase by drops until it tastes good to you.
Dressing:
- Juice of one lemon (preferably Meyer), about 1-2 tablespoons
- 1 tablespoon of Bragg's Liquid Aminos (or less, to taste)
- 3 tablespoons of olive oil
Whisk the above ingredients together. Set aside while you prep the salad ingredients.
For the salad:
- 1 bunch of lacinato or curly kale, chopped (discard hard, woody stems)
- 1/4 of a red onion, very thinly sliced—slice it as thin as your knife skills will allow
- 1 avocado, diced
- toasted sesame seeds (sold in any Asian market), ground (Do you have a sesame seed grinder yet? Go get one!)
Put the kale and red onion in a large bowl and toss with about half the dressing to start. Add more as needed. Toss in avocado mix lightly, and refrigerate salad for at least one hour. Just before serving you can drain excess liquid (the macerating kale will release some liquid and you can pour it off if you find it unappealing). Top your salad with a grating of toasted sesame seeds. Serve.
Serves 4 as a side or one as a big salad for lunch, two days in a row.
