Massaged Kale Salad with Berkshire Cherry Tomatoes and White Beans

Kale is king in terms of nutrition as we all know by now but what you may not know is that you can "massage" kale so that it breaks down a little and is easier to eat raw. The Ashram Dressing recipe will make much more than you need for the salad but we make a large batch because it also serves as a delicious dip which you can either offer on the side if people want extra or with crudité for an afternoon snack.

Serves 8 plus extra dressing for dip

Ingredients:

4 large bunches of kale
1/4 cup olive oil or coconut oil
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 cups local heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 cup cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Ashram Dressing (makes about 2 cups):

¼ cup pumpkin seeds
¼ cup walnuts
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeds removed and rough chopped
2 tbsp almond butter
2 tbsp flaxseed oil
1 tsp ume plum vinegar (Eden brand)
2-1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1-1/2 tbsp chipotle powder
½ tsp paprika
1 tbsp coconut amino
1 tsp cumin
1-1/2 tsp sea salt
1/3 cup water
3 tbsp lemon juice

Instructions:

Mix all Dressing ingredients in blender and chill
Wash and dry kale, remove stems and break into bite-size pieces
Add kale to large bowl and add olive oil, lemon juice and salt
Massage the kale with your hands for a couple of minutes. You will see that the kale starts to break down and shrink in volume
Toss massaged kale with the dressing 1 tbsp at a time until desired coverage
Garnish with white beans and sliced tomatoes. Serve immediately