Keto Kale Salad with Avocado

This keto kale salad is tender massaged kale with creamy avocado, sweet cherry tomatoes, Parmesan and toasted pumpkin seeds, tossed in a garlicky lemon and olive oil dressing. Massaging the kale for 2 minutes softens its tough leaves and takes away the bitterness, so even people who think they don’t like kale often enjoy it. It takes 15 minutes, serves 2 as a light lunch or 4 as a side, and has about 5.5 g of net carbs and 8.5 g of fiber per main portion. Unlike most salads, it keeps well dressed for a day, which makes it ideal for packed lunches.

• Serves: 2 as a light lunch, or 4 as a side
• Prep time: 15 minutes
• Cook time: 3 minutes to toast the seeds
• Total time: about 15 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 large bunch of curly kale or cavolo nero (about 120 g of leaves, without stems)
• 1 ripe avocado (about 150 g of flesh), diced
• 100 g (⅔ cup) cherry tomatoes, halved
• 20 g (¼ cup) finely grated Parmesan, plus shavings to serve
• 15 g (1 tablespoon) pumpkin seeds

Garlic lemon dressing

• 1½ tablespoons (20 ml) extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) lemon juice, plus a little zest
• 1 small garlic clove, grated
• A pinch of salt and black pepper

Method

1. Wash the kale under running water and dry it well, using a salad spinner or a clean tea towel.
2. Strip the leaves from the tough central stems by pulling them away with your fingers. Tear or slice the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
3. Whisk the dressing ingredients together in a large salad bowl.
4. Add the kale to the bowl. Using clean hands, squeeze and rub the dressing into the leaves for 1 to 2 minutes. The kale will darken, soften and shrink by about a third.
5. Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until they start to pop.
6. Add the grated Parmesan, tomatoes and avocado to the kale and toss gently.
7. Scatter with pumpkin seeds and Parmesan shavings and serve.

Tips

• Massage, don’t skip it. Massaging breaks down the tough fibers in raw kale, making it tender and less bitter.
• Dry the leaves well so the dressing sticks.
• Add the avocado last to stop it turning mushy, or mash a little into the dressing for a creamier salad.
• Choose young kale or cavolo nero (Tuscan kale), which is more tender than mature curly kale.
• Make it ahead: massaged kale holds up well in the fridge, unlike lettuce.

Swaps and variations

• Protein: add grilled chicken, salmon, boiled eggs or prawns to make it a full meal.
• Cheese: use feta or goat cheese instead of Parmesan.
• Nuts: replace the pumpkin seeds with toasted almonds, walnuts or pine nuts.
• Creamy dressing: add a tablespoon of tahini or Greek yogurt to the dressing.
• Vegan: skip the Parmesan and add nutritional yeast and extra seeds.
• Not on keto? Add roasted sweet potato, quinoa or chickpeas.

Nutrition per serving (estimate)

One serving is half the recipe, as a light lunch. These figures were calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for raw kale, avocado, cherry tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, grated Parmesan, dried pumpkin seeds and salt.

Kale is one of the most nutrient-dense vegetables, rich in vitamin C, vitamin K and beta carotene. Avocado and olive oil provide mostly monounsaturated fat, and the fiber helps keep you full. Our guide on how to cook kale has more ways to use it, and our list of keto vegetables shows how it compares.

Contains: milk (Parmesan).

Kale and vitamin K

Kale is very high in vitamin K, which helps blood clot. If you take warfarin, you don’t need to avoid kale, but the NHS advises talking to your doctor before making big changes to your diet, as foods high in vitamin K, such as leafy green vegetables, can affect how warfarin works. Keep your intake fairly steady from week to week.

Storage

Store leftover salad, without the avocado if possible, in a sealed container in the fridge and eat within a day. Add fresh avocado just before eating. Massaged kale on its own keeps for 2 to 3 days.

What to serve with it

• Our keto sheet pan salmon or grilled chicken.
• Our spinach feta frittata.
• A bowl of soup for a warming lunch.

Common questions

Is kale keto?

Yes. It has about 3 g of net carbs per 100 g raw, according to USDA values.

Can I use bagged kale?

Yes. Remove any thick stems, then massage it as above. Bagged kale is usually curlier and tougher than fresh bunches, so give it an extra minute.

Is raw kale safe to eat?

Yes, for most people. Wash it well. If raw kale upsets your stomach, try lightly steaming or sautéing it instead.

Safety note: Keto isn’t suitable for everyone. If you have diabetes, kidney or liver disease, take regular medication, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, talk to your doctor before cutting carbs this far (why it matters).

This article is general information, not medical advice. Nutrition figures are estimates from USDA FoodData Central and will change with the brands and amounts you use. If you follow a diet for a medical reason, check the recipe with your doctor or dietitian.