This recipe is excerpted from the cookbook The Food That Loves You Back by Ilana Muhlstein MS, RDN. Photographs by Corinne Quesnel. Used with permission of Mango Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Salads don't have to be boring. They can be bright, colorful, and full of flavor. And even though the wimpiest salads can leave us feeling hungry afterward, a filling, nutrient-dense salad can satiate you until your next meal. This kale salad is so delicious and filling that it will become one of your go-to favorites.

You'll Need

6 cups (400 g) or one big bag of prewashed curly kale, roughly chopped
1 large ripe avocado
Juice of 1-2 lemons (I like it very lemony)
1 tsp. (5.5 g) high-quality sea salad
4-6 dried apricots or one freshly cut persimmon, pear, or red apple, chopped
2 tbsp. (20 g) cashews, chopped
½ tsp. (0.8 g) red chili flakes (optional)
2 tbsp. (7 g) pickled onions (optional)

How to Make It

To a large bowl, add the washed and chopped kale. With clean hands and jewelry removed, add the avocado to the kale.
Massage it in for two to three minutes with your hands and watch it soften the kale.
Squeeze the lemon and sprinkle the salt evenly over the kale, massage for an additional minute. This creates the dressing for the kale.
Next, you can add whatever you want. I love adding chopped apricot, nuts, tomatoes, onion, and even more diced avocado. It's delicious, people love it, and it holds up well.