My sister, Cherie has been talking about her amazing Kale salad for months. Now although I do eat my kale, I will admit I am not thrilled at the idea of raw kale greens. I prefer them cooked (boiled, sauteed or steamed) or blended in a smoothie. But raw…

So when I was visiting my sister and her family this summer at the beach I finally got to try this famous Kale Salad, the one that was supposed to be  (a) super easy to make and (b) so good that the kids would love it.

After trying it I had to admit that she was absolutely right about both. It is super easy and also super yummy, and of course–super healthy. I have been devouring this salad ever since. It is also a great salad to pack for lunch as it keeps well.

The other thing I like about this salad is that it is very versatile, customize it with all your favorite things: feta cheese, nuts, tomatoes, olives–you love it? You toss it in!

The secret to this salad, massaging those greens. Take your time (and put in enough time like a full minute) and work those greens.

What You’ll Need:

• A bunch of Kale (we used the chopped kale in a bag, why not someone else do the heavy lifting!)
• 2 garlic cloves (minced)
• 1 small red onion (diced small)
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Lemon juice (from 1 lemon plus zest)
• 1 cucumber (diced small)
• goat cheese (optional)
• Sea salt, 1 teaspoon (to taste)

What You Do:

1. Diced and rinse kale in small pieces (even if you are using bagged kale, chop it up and remove all stems)
2. With the Kale in a bowl drizzle oil over it and massage it until the leaves turn tender (do this for like a minute)
3. Toss in your other ingredients and toss together
4. Sprinkle salt and enjoy (again and again and again!)