Tenderized kale side salad infused with peppers, citrus, olive oil, and tangy apple cider vinegar for a perfect kale pickled vegetable salad that makes a great companion for rice bowls.
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Quick Mix-In
Spice up your salad with pickled vegetables to give that tangy kick. It’s also a great addition to your rice bowl dishes. Rice bowls are filled with a variety of flavors all in one dish. Each bite gives you a different taste; your palette will thank you for not eating another bland meal.
My Haitian culture inspires this pickled vegetable recipe. We use a spicy condiment called Pikliz, made of shredded cabbage, onion, carrot, scotch bonnet peppers, citrus fruit, and spices. We serve it with fried dishes such as pork (griot) or fried fish with a side of plantains and a salad of lettuce and tomatoes.
Rice Bowl Idea
Turn this into a rice bowl by serving it with Easy Spiced Brown Rice and Quinoa, Quick 5 Vegetable Medley, and Harissa Carrot Salad. Then choose a protein:
- Air-Fried Turmeric Herbed Tofu,
- Baked Zhug Chicken,
- Mouthwatering Air Fryer Lemon Pepper Pine nuts Turkey Meatballs or
- Air Fryer Roasted Harissa Salmon.
Ingredients and Instructions
To begin with, to make the kale salad, you’ll need my pickled vegetable pepper slaw recipe, made with crispy carrots, red onions, fresh jalapenos, citrus juice, and sweet honey. This is what gives the kale salad its twist.
Your kale will love you for the massage! With your clean hands, get ready to get down and dirty; you will gently squeeze the kale with lemon juice, olive oil, and kosher salt to break down the fibrous tissue and infuse it with acid and salt.
See the kale pickled vegetable salad for quantities.
Busy Folks - Become a better home cook with cooking tips to help you cook more efficiently on Cook's Notebook tab. Learn more about using a salad spinner.
My Pickled Vegetable Pepper Slaw
Change Heat Level - Modify the recipe's heat level to your liking and learn more about the Scoville Scale and Chili Pairings.
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl - To mix all the ingredients.
- Gloves - To massage all the ingredients, optional.
- Zester - Used to zest the lemon to enhance the flavor of the lemon pepper dish. I've used a Microplane Classic Zester Grater for over two decades, plus any recipe that suggests testing, you might see me using it in my videos. It's a great tool to have. It can also grate ginger, hard cheeses, and garlic.
- Citrus Squeezer - For squeezing the lemon. To develop this recipe, I used the KitchenAid Citrus Squeezer. Additionally, I love the fact that you can squeeze several citrus fruits before pouring out the juice.
Kitchen Must Haves - Find other tools I use here.
Storage
- Refrigerator - To store in the fridge, you can place the kale pickled vegetable salad in a shallow 2-inch airtight container. As a result, the side salad will last up to three days.
- Freezer - I do not recommend freezing.
Air Tight Food Containers - I use Glass Food Storage Containers with a plastic clipping lid to store food. For example, I always suggest glass storage containers since you can microwave and hold food without staining the container, and the glass keeps them at a more stable temperature, which keeps the food fresher longer.
Cooking tip
Really get in there and massage the kale with the liquids to help break it down to become tender.
Frequently Asked Questions
Raw kale can be tough to eat on its own due to its fibrous texture. That's why there are a lot of recipes, either cooking it or turning it into chips. But you can enjoy raw kale using the massage method to help break the fibers, making it easier to consume.
Bowl Recipes
Looking for other bowl recipes like this? Try these:
- Spicy Cajun Shrimp Rice Bowl with Lemon Remoulade
- Easy Sheet Pan Spicy Miso Salmon Rice Bowl
- Spicy Greek Chicken Meatball Rice Bowl
- Air Fryer Calabrian Chili Salmon and Vegetables Bowl
Vegetarian Recipes
Looking for other vegetarian recipes like this? Try these:
- How to Make Multigrain Rice | Purple Rice Recipe
- Caesar Salad with Egg Tomatoes and Chili-Infused Croutons
- Spicy Falafel Pita Sandwich & Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Vegetarian Smoky Chipotle Chorizo and Bean Stew
Video
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📖 Recipe
Massaged Kale Pickled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients
- 2 cups of kale washed, sliced ½-inch thick
- ½ lemon juiced and zested
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup of my Pickled Vegetable Pepper Slaw
Equipment
- Medium Mixing Bowl
- Gloves
Instructions
- Save time in the kitchen: Read the instructions thoroughly, then gather and prep all your ingredients before cooking! Learn Prepping Tips.
- Combine the kale, lemon juice, zest, and salt in a medium mixing bowl.
- Using gloves or clean hands, massage the kale with your hands for about 2 to 3 minutes, allowing the breaking down of the fiber to incorporate the lemon juice and salt.
- Add the pickled vegetable pepper slaw to the salad, toss, and serve.
Video
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook chicken to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat to prevent foodborne illness from contaminated uncooked meats.
- Wash hands after touching raw meat to prevent cross-contamination.
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods; this can breed bacteria.
- Never leave cooking food unattended to prevent burns and fires.
- Use oils with a high smoke point to avoid harmful compounds.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
See more guidelines at USDA.gov.
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