I recently returned from a conference with Dr. Esselstyn and his family, of Forks Over Knives fame. At the conference, Dr. Esselstyn was speaking about his reversing heart disease program, and advocating for very little fat in the diet and 6 servings of greens PER DAY! While I don’t cook with oils, I often do use nuts and avocados in my food preparations. These are both good for many nutrients, however they do carry a lot of fat. I learned that I could swap out cannellini beans where I would have used avocados or nuts in the past. I wanted to try this out on a massaged kale salad! Enter this recipe! I served this at a cooking class and everyone loved how light it was. By massaging the kale with citrus and the beans, you alter the tough cellular structure of the kale. This process actually makes the kale take on a cooked texture and taste. The more you massage it, the more relaxed it’ll be. Think of yourself as a kale masseuse! You’ll have the most laid back kale on the block!
All of the ingredients in this recipe are packed with antioxidants and help reduce inflammation in the body. A great addition for germ season. Kale is packed with plant based protein and calcium, even before you add in the beans. Beans and pumpkin seeds add in magnesium and potassium, all of which help boost heart health, by lowering blood pressure and cholesterol. Pomegranate seeds in this recipe are loaded with their own powerful antioxidants, and have been shown to prevent cancers, boost heart health, decrease inflammation, boost memory, and help with erectile dysfunction! They also are a great source of Vitamin C, as are the added oranges, making this one heck of a salad to fight disease!
Double this recipe, it will last all week long for you! The colors lend themselves to holiday celebrations and can be made ahead! Green and red pop together in taste and beauty!
*Alternatively, you can use an avocado in place of beans. This will add fat to the recipe, and not provide as much heart health as without it. For a recipe using avocado to make a massaged kale, check out my Moroccan Kale Salad.
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- 3/4 cup drained, rinsed cannellini beans (1/2 a can), mashed
- 6 cups chopped kale
- 1/2 cup small diced celery
- 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup apple, cut into bite-sized pieces (don’t peel)
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- 1 cup oranges or clementines, cut into bite sized pieces
- salt/pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Mash beans in a bowl.
- Place kale and orange juice into a large bowl, and rub leaves until they begin to turn bright green
- Dump mashed cannellini beans into bowl, and rub kale and beans together, until leaves are coated with beans
- Add in remaining ingredients, and season with salt/pepper to taste.
- Salad will keep for about 1 week in fridge. Add pumpkin seeds in fresh for added crunch.
- Great served with a big bowl of soup for a hearty winter meal.
Nutritional Benefits:
- High in plant-based protein-needed for repairing tissues
- High in calcium-needed for bone and dental strength
- Anti-inflammatory, gluten free, and vegan
- No oils, fats, or cholesterol-great for heart health
- Great source of potassium-great for heart health by reducing blood pressure, regulates kidney and nervous system function
- ¼ cup fresh orange juice
- 1 tsp orange zest
- ¾ cup drained, rinsed cannellini beans (1/2 a can), mashed
- 6 cups chopped kale
- ½ cup small diced celery
- ½ cup pomegranate seeds
- 1 cup apple, cut into bite-sized pieces (don't peel)
- 3 tbsp pumpkin seeds
- 2 tbsp minced parsley
- 1 cup oranges or clementines, cut into bite sized pieces
- salt/pepper to taste
- Mash beans in a bowl.
- Place kale and orange juice into a large bowl, and rub leaves until they begin to turn bright green
- Dump mashed cannellini beans into bowl, and rub kale and beans together, until leaves are coated with beans
- Add in remaining ingredients, and season with salt/pepper to taste
- Salad will keep for about 1 week in fridge. Add pumpkin seeds in fresh for added crunch.
