Massaged Kale Salad + Lentil Fritters with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce | Vegan, Gluten-Free

Are you wondering what is a “massaged kale salad”? I remember the first time I saw that in a menu at a restaurant. I thought to myself “Oh, come on! Really?! Massaging your kale??”, but as it turned out, I read about it, and massaging your kale with a little bit of good quality olive oil ahead of time actually breaks down some of the hard fibres, it softens the kale and makes it more palatable for most people. It becomes softer, like lettuce. It’s actually a really nice treat, give it a try!

This is a complete meal that can be made in 30-45 minutes, depending on how quick you are. It’s fairly simple to make and doesn’t involve a lot of chopping.

You’ll want to start by putting the lentils to cook. Then move on to making the sweet potato wedges, and then while all of this is cooking, prepare the kale. It’s called a “massage”, but it’s definitely not a relaxing massage for the kale. hahaha

The instructions are lengthy, but the whole meal is actually simple to make. I recommend reading the instructions ahead of time and visualize them in your head before starting. You’ll end-up saving time and frustration in the end 😉 This is so delicious, it’s worth it!

Enjoy!

ECP xo

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Massaged Kale Salad + Lentil Fritters with Almond Butter Dipping Sauce | Vegan

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 3 servings

A complete vegan dinner recipes for massaged kale salad, with lentil fritters and dipping sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup uncooked lentils (green or red, or a combination)
• 1 large organic sweet potato washed, dried
• 1 tsp ground paprika
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp unrefined sea salt
• extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 leaves organic kale washed, dried
• 1 lb asparagus
• 2 Tbsp organic almond butter
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 Tbsp hemp seed
• 2 Tbsp raw pumpkin seed lightly roasted in a dry pan for 30-45 seconds (optional)
• 1 avocado
• 1/2 lemon
• 2 Tbsp raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions

1. Follow instructions to cook lentils.
2. Cut the sweet potato in half, and then cut each half in 4-6 wedges, depending on the size. Toss in a medium bowl with approx. 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil, until coated. Add the paprika, cinnamon, and black pepper and sea salt to taste. On a large baking sheet, put the sweet potato wedges on one side, making sure they are well spread out and not touching.
3. On the other side of the baking sheet, lay down the asparagus, lightly drizzle with olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt. Put in the oven at 425F for 20-25 min. If the asparagus are done before the sweet potatoes, take them out, you don't want them to be overcooked.
4. While this is cooking, rip bite-size pieces of the kale leaves into a medium-size bowl, add 1 tsp of olive oil and using your (clean) hands, squeeze the kale in your hands, like you're trying to crush it. Make sure every bite is coated and 'massaged', about 1 minute. Put aside.
5. When the lentils are cooked, drain really well, and pour everything into a food processor. Add 1/2 tsp of sea salt, black pepper to taste, and pulse until smooth, or close to,
6. Warm up a large pan over medium heat. Add some olive oil, and using a tablespoon, take some of the lentil mixture, roll it in your hands, push it down, like a mini burger patty, and drop in the hot pan. Continue doing this until your pan is full. Make sure you leave some room in-between the fritters to cook evenly. If the pan is not hot enough, the lentils will absorb the oil and get mushy and fall apart, so make sure your pan is warm enough. You'll want the fritters to be a nice dark golden before gently flipping them over. Don't worry too much if they fall apart, it'll still taste good 😉
7. In a small bowl, mix the mayo, almond butter and dijon mustard. Set aside.
8. Add the apple cider vinegar, and the hemp seed + roasted pumpkin seeds (if using) to the massaged kale, and mix to coat.
9. When everything is cooked and ready, serve. I added 1/2 of an avocado per person, simply sliced, drizzled with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a pinch of sea salt. You can also drizzle some lemon juice on the cooked asparagus. Yummy!

Note: I do not believe anyone should worry about counting calories, but here is the nutritional information for one serving
Calories: 784kcal | Fat: 46g | Saturated fat: 6g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 622mg | Potassium: 1843mg | Carbohydrates: 70g | Fiber: 31g | Sugar: 7g | Protein: 31g | Vitamin A: 13510% | Vitamin C: 96.9% | Calcium: 236% | Iron: 11.6%