Introducing the best organic kale salad recipe you will ever try! I absolutely LOVE green leafy veggies, but convincing my husband to eat raw kale used to be a very difficult conversation and a loosing battle. Thank God those days are over! I tried time and time again to sneak raw kale into his diet and finally I figured it out. He’ll tell you himself now that this is the only raw kale recipe he has ever enjoyed and didn’t want to just toss into the compost bin.
The other great news is that your children will love it too. I have proof. My daughter is still very young, so salad dressings with apple cider vinegar tend to be too overpowering for her palate. However, the dressing for this kale salad agrees with her, so much so that she’ll volunteer and be excited to eat some (on most days….).
So why do my husband and daughter love this dressing so much that they’ll happily eat raw kale……..well it’s because of the roasted garlic paste of course! Usually, I will roast about 8 heads at a time and just keep them on hand in the refrigerator for dressings and hummus, particularly in the summer time when we eat a ton of raw veggies. Roasting garlic brings out a natural sweetness that is not apparent in raw garlic at all. I also find that roasted garlic is very digestible versus raw garlic. Though I love raw garlic too, don’t get me wrong. But, I have to admit I am a freak about roasted garlic, I could literally eat a head all by itself and be perfectly satisfied.
The other secret ingredient to this kale salad is toasted ground sesame seeds. Toasted sesame seeds also have a natural sweetness, and in combination with the roasted garlic, these two soften the bitter taste of the raw kale that can be overpowering to many taste buds. There are so many people that know kale and other bitter greens are so good for them but after so many tries just do not enjoy the flavor at all. I can eat and enjoy anything if it’s good for me but my husband is a tough one. Bitters just send him running in the other direction. We just have different constitutions, but I have figured out ways to trick his taste buds and make bitters a part of his diet.
The olive oil in this recipe is of good quality and I love Coconut Secrets Coconut Aminos! This is not a sponsored post for their product, I just really like their product for many reasons. It is organic, gluten free, vegan, and very clean, but most importantly it is soy free. Why is soy free important? When soy is not fermented it becomes toxic to our bodies because of the enzyme inhibitors that affect the gut. In addition, the phytoestrogens that soy contains are endocrine disrupters that mimick the bodies natural estrogen hormones. Un-fermented soy can then imbalance hormones, increase the chances of cancer, create infertility issues, and even create menstrual issues in women. Soy also contains goitrogens which are anti-thyroid compounds that inhibit the thyroid’s ability to use iodine correctly. Therefore, creating an onslaught of thyroid issues. Lastly, soy in the USA is 95% genetically modified, and with GMO soy pollen naturally flying in the air to grow elsewhere, staying away from soy is key for good health with this uncontrollable crop. I don’t want to leave you hopeless, but rather empowered that you have fantastic choices for your health, and flavor for your taste buds!
Onwards and upwards! If you haven’t noticed that in most of my recipes I use lemon juice. Well, lemon juice is making a day beau here as well! Eating raw kale without an acidic medium to break down some of the enzyme inhibitors will make it difficult to digest. This could be doing your gut harm instead of benefit. This is why lemon juice or apple cider vinegar are great acidic mediums to massage into kale both for flavor and to “cook” the kale, in order to receive the best medicinal benefits. Eat your kale with joy today, and smile at how you tricked taste buds without using any sugar!
[tasty-recipe id=”1801″]
