Mexican Kale Salad

Greens and beans! They are an excellent source of calcium and trump anything that cow’s milk could provide. This fresh simple kale salad is a terrific way to add more calcium to your diet and enjoy every bite!

We have more delicious protein-packed kale recipes like this kale quinoa salad with miso dressing and our easy braised kale.

Reasons you’ll love this recipe

• Bold and Flavorful: This kale salad with salsa, beans, and corn offers a delicious blend of zesty and savory flavors, making each bite exciting and satisfying.
• Packed with Nutrients: Loaded with protein-rich beans, fiber-packed corn, and vitamin-rich kale, this salad is a nutritious powerhouse that fuels your body.
• Hearty and Filling: The combination of hearty ingredients like beans and corn ensures this salad is not only healthy but also satisfying enough to be a complete meal.
• Easy to Prepare: With simple ingredients and minimal prep, this kale salad is quick and easy to make, perfect for a wholesome lunch or dinner.

Ingredients you will need

• Kale- We use kale in this salad because its sturdy texture holds up well to dressings, staying crisp and flavorful, making it an ideal base for a hearty, satisfying salad.
• Beans- Black beans make this salad hearty enough to be served as a main dish.
• Corn- The natural sweet flavor of corn rounds this delicious salad out and makes it beautifully colorful.
• Salsa- Use store-bought or make your own blender salsa in only minutes.
• Lemon juice- Massaging the kale is made possible because the acid in the lemon juice helps break it down and makes it more tender.

Massaging kale

Kale has been called the angry lettuce because is it much more fibrous and less delicate than say baby spinach, romaine, or other leafy greens.

I have found that massaging kale with lemon juice and a little sea salt makes it much more tender and flavorful. And who can blame it? We all could use a little massage to soften our attitude every now and then. Massaging the kale first makes this Mexican kale salad tender and delicious!

The problem with pre-cut kale

One thing I’ve noticed with the pre-cut kale in bags is that the leaves are sliced horizontally which causes the stems to be included in them. The stems are so fibrous that it’s best to take them out they are so tough.

Those cut bags of kale are great for things like smoothies, but not so much for this recipe, braising kale, or making healthy kale salad. I always buy the whole-leaf kale and de-stem it. Only takes a few minutes.

How to make Mexican Kale Salad

The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.

STEP #1: Remove the stem from the kale. Destemming is not difficult and doesn’t even require a knife or scissors.

To strip out the stems, simply grasp a kale leaf with one hand by the stem. Wrap your other hand firmly around the lower end of the leafy part. Slide your hand up the leaf, staying close to the stem, to strip off the leafy part.

STEP #2: Tear into bite-sized pieces and place in a large bowl. Add the salt and 1/2 of the lemon juice. Massage the kale for 1-2 minutes and set aside.

STEP #3: If you’re using canned black beans, drain the liquid from them and rinse under cool water before adding them to this salad.

STEP #4: Defrost frozen corn by placing it in a drainer and running warm water over it.

STEP #5: Add diced red onion, black beans, corn, and salsa and mix thoroughly. Sprinkle with crushed blue corn chips and drizzle with remaining lemon juice. This is a great dish to serve with my Mexican Stuffed Peppers.

Recipe from The 21-Day Weight Loss KickStart book by Dr. Neal Barnard, president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.