Massaged Kale Salad with Lemon-Basil Dressing

This massaged kale salad is simple to prepare and has a dressing that is reminiscent of Caesar, but punched up with basil and lemon. It's the famous Barbuto kale salad!

Making a massaged kale salad might sound like some kind of endeavor reserved for professional chefs, but in fact they are so easy to make at home using your own two hands!

This isn't the massaged kale salad that started it all, but it is the one that started it all for me, with a trip to New York City and a birthday dinner at Barbuto, Chef Jonathan Waxman's famous West Village restaurant. Who knew that something so simple could be so mind-blowingly tasty?

This is a massaged kale salad in its simplest form, letting the texture of the kale soften in the Ceasar-like dressing, with salty parmesan cheese on top. If you like this idea but want a little more zhuzh and heft, you could try my Kale Salad with Cranberries, Apples and Pecans.

Jump to:

• This massaged kale salad is easy, quick, and packed with flavor!
• Ingredients you'll need
• Why massage kale?
• How to massage kale
• How to make a massaged kale salad
• Tips for making a massaged kale salad
• When to serve a massaged kale salad
• More kale recipes
• Recipe

This massaged kale salad is easy, quick, and packed with flavor!

• Easy prep: Slice the kale, grate some cheese, make a dressing. That's it!
• All the components are ready in about 15 minutes, then just let the massaged kale rest for a bit before serving.
• A simple yet delicious salad dressing made with anchovies and basil adds richness and umami.
• It's gluten free!
• To make it vegetarian, swap the dressing for my Basil Vinaigrette recipe or this Dijon Balsamic Vinaigrette.

Ingredients you'll need

You only need a few simple things to make this massaged kale salad, but some of them are unique and unexpected.

• Kale - Obviously. But which kind? Curly or Tuscan? Either will work. I used curly kale because it is more affordable. Whichever you prefer will be fine.
• Anchovies - yes, there are anchovies in the dressing! But they don't make the dressing taste like anchovies, they add an underlying umami to the salad. You only need two, but you can store the remaining anchovies in the fridge for a looooooong time. I just put the open can inside a small airtight container and keep it in the back of the refrigerator until I need some for another recipe like my chicken thighs with garlic and capers.
• Egg yolk - another nod to the classic Caesar dressing here. Don't be afraid of the raw yolk, it helps all the ingredients emulsify and gives the dressing a rich texture.
• Parmigiano Reggiano cheese - in the restaurant and the cookbook, the recipe calls for Pecorino Romano, which is a hard, sheep's milk cheese that has a sharp flavor. I swapped in parmigiano because it is easier to find. You can use whichever cheese you prefer/can find easily. But please use the real thing, preferably grated yourself on a box grater. Pre-grated cheese seems to dry out faster, so if you grate it yourself, the flavor and texture will be so much better!
• Fresh basil: This will give the salad dressing a bright, fresh flavor to contrast the anchovies.
• Lemon juice: Our acid in the dressing and will help soften the kale.
• Garlic
• Dijon mustard: The secret to every good salad dressing, right?
• Kosher salt

Why massage kale?

So you're thinking okay, I want a kale salad, but do I really have to massage it? Well, no, but you'll certainly enjoy it more if you do.

Kale is very hardy, and on its own, it can be very unpleasant to chew on. But when the salad dressing is massaged into the kale it creates a chemical reaction. The acid and salt from the dressing react with enzymes in the kale leaves which allows them to soften into a lovely, tender texture.

How to massage kale

It's not complicated! Simply use your clean hands—a cook's best tools—and get in there and rub the dressing into all of the kale leaves with your fingertips for about 2 minutes until they are well-coated. Season with a pinch of salt and black pepper.

How to make a massaged kale salad

Adapted from the Barbuto Cookbook.

Step 1: Prep the kale

Wash the kale thoroughly and let it dry completely.

PREP TIP: To remove kale leaves from the thick bottom stem, grasp the leaves and fold them inward with one hand, and grasp the stem with the other hand. Pull hands away from each other at the same time to easily separate the kale leaves from their stems. For this salad recipe, it's okay if some of the center rib remains, it will soften in the dressing but still give us a bit of great texture.

Remove the bottom stem, then roll up the leaves, and use a good chef's knife to slice it very thinly. The thin slices will allow the kale to break down more easily once the salad dressing is added. Put it into a large mixing bowl and set aside.

Step 2: Make the anchovy-basil paste for the salad dressing

Chop the basil and smash the garlic cloves with the side of your knife. Place them on a wooden cutting board with the anchovies.

PREP TIP: You MUST use a wooden cutting board for this part of the process. We're going to make a paste with the ingredients, and it just won't happen on a plastic board.

Chop the garlic and anchovies along with the basil finely. Then turn the knife blade at an angle, steadying the tip of the blade with your other hand, and drag/scrape the edge of the blade through the mixture repeatedly. Chop, chop, chop. Drag, drag. The oils from the anchovy and the garlic will start to release, creating a paste.

Step 3: Whisk the dressing together

Add the paste to a small mixing bowl with the mustard, lemon juice, egg yolk and salt and whisk together.

Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsified dressing.

Step 4: Massage the dressing into the kale and let it rest

Pour half of the dressing over the bowl of kale and massage it together until all the leaves are well-coated.

Grate the cheese on a box grater, then sprinkle ¾ of it into the salad and toss together. Let the salad sit for a bit - up to one hour - to allow the flavors to come together.

Top with the remaining cheese and serve.

Tips for making a massaged kale salad

• Letting the kale completely dry before slicing it ensures that the salad dressing will stick to it. You need that because the dressing will tenderize the kale.
• Grate the cheese yourself! The texture and flavor will be so much better. Pre-grated dries out.
• You might need to use a bit more than half the salad dressing, depending on what kind of kale you are using. Start there and add a little more if you think you need it.
• The original Barbuto recipe calls for one tablespoon of toasted breadcrumbs. I omitted this so it would be gluten-free, but feel free to add them back in just before serving for a little crunch.
• You'll have some dressing left over. Store in an airtight container the fridge and use within 2-3 days.

When to serve a massaged kale salad

You can serve a massaged kale salad any time of year with almost any cuisine, but I think the flavors in this particular recipe it go especially well with Italian food. This would be a perfect side dish if you're making my Zucchini Parmesan or Roast Chicken with Tarragon and Lemon. Pair it with simple pastas like Red Wine Spaghetti or Gorgonzola Pasta.

More kale recipes

• For a fall twist, try this Kale Salad with Cranberries.
• Kale is good raw, but I also love to cook it up. My Apple Cider Chicken has apples and kale cooked in the same pan as the chicken, making it a main dish and a side dish all rolled together.
• If you've got kale left over from this recipe, toss it in some soup! Tuscan White Bean Soup with Kale is one of my faves.

Recipe