Kale Salad with Avocado and Apple
1 bunch kale (I prefer Lacinato or Dino kale)
1 avocado
1 small apple (or ½ a large one), cut into matchsticks
juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoons light vinegar (I like champagne vinegar)
salt and pepper to taste
Remove the center stems from the kale leaves (if the leaves are larger than 8”). Wash them and dry them in a salad spinner. Slice the leaves crosswise into ¼ - ½ inch strips. Put them into a large-ish salad bowl. Here’s where you get to get messy. Cut the avocado into 1” chunks and put them in the bowl with the kale. Now make sure that when you washed your hands before you started this, you washed the backs of your hands and under your nails. If you didn’t, go do it now.
With your fingertips, mash the avocado into the leaves of kale. You’re done when each leaf has been coated and there are few distinct bits of avocado left. The rubbing of the leaves helps to tenderize them and makes them, to me at least, far more palatable.
Now add the apple, half of the lemon juice and a teaspoon of the vinegar. Toss. Add ¼ teaspoon pepper and ½ teaspoon salt. Toss & taste. Add more pepper and acid (lemon juice and vinegar) as needed.