Massaged Kale Salad with Mango & Avocado

This week, my fellow Back Burner bloggers and I were asked to share a recipe that makes us happy.

Well. Food in general makes me happy, so I really could have used any number of recipes from my arsenal. Yet this kale salad kept creeping up into the forefront of my brainstorming, and I realized that it was the absolute perfect fit for this week’s theme.

This massaged kale salad makes me happy for two reasons: it is simultaneously crave-worthy delicious and superbly healthy. Happy mouth & happy body!

The tough raw kale leaves are quite literally massaged with olive oil and hint of citrus until they break down and become pliable, rendering them palatable. The chewy kale is accompanied by candy-sweet ripe mango, creamy avocado, toasted coconut, and crunchy sliced almonds.

The tropical flavor profile is fitting for this time of year, when we tend to crave lighter fare, but this salad is hearty enough to fill you up. Boasting a handful of nutrient-dense ingredients, this salad is just what my body craves as the temperatures rise.

I hope this salad makes you as happy as it makes me =).