This Thai-style peanut dressing makes kale even more nutritionally potent. So think of this vibrant salad, full of nutritional bell-ringers such as whole grain sorghum and protein-rich edamame, as a perfect health-giving bring-your-lunch-to-work option. Since kale can be massaged with dressing a couple of days in advance without going limp, this is also a great make-ahead salad. Soaking sorghum in water for several hours in advance will quicken its cooking time. However, quinoa or millet would serve as stand-ins for sorghum.
Give your kale a massage
Raw kale breaks down and becomes more tender and less bitter tasting when it’s massaged. It also helps distribute the dressing into all of kale’s crevices, so you get peanut flavour in every bite.
Ingredients
Salad
3/4 cup (180 mL) sorghum
1 cup (250 mL) frozen shelled edamame
1 bunch Tuscan (dinosaur) kale, cut into 2 in (5 cm) pieces
2 large carrots, grated
1 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 mango, cubed
4 green onions, sliced
1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced basil
1/4 cup (60 mL) unsalted roasted peanuts, chopped
Dressing
1/3 cup (80 mL) smooth natural peanut butter
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp (30 mL) reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari
2 Tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
1 Tbsp (15 mL) honey
2 tsp (10 mL) toasted sesame oil
2 tsp (10 mL) grated fresh ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) chili sauce or 1/4 tsp (1 mL) crushed red pepper chili flakes
Directions
In saucepan, place sorghum and 3 cups (750 mL) water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, covered, until sorghum is tender but not mushy, about 25 minutes if soaked or 40 minutes if using unsoaked grains. Drain sorghum and let cool.
In saucepan of salted boiling water, prepare edamame according to package directions. Drain edamame and let cool.
In bowl, whisk together peanut butter, lime juice, soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, honey, sesame oil, ginger, chili sauce, and 2 Tbsp (30 mL) warm water until smooth.
In large bowl, place kale then drizzle on half of the peanut dressing. Using clean hands, massage dressing into kale until leaves are tender, about 1 minute. Add sorghum, edamame, carrots, red bell pepper, mango, green onion, and basil to bowl and gently toss. Just before serving, pour remaining peanut dressing overtop and sprinkle on peanuts.
