This Is The Only Type Of Salad Green You'll Want To Get Soggy

Ever heard of the layered Mason jar salad trend? Dressing is added to the bottom of the jar to prevent delicate leaves like baby spinach or butterhead lettuce from absorbing vinaigrette and turning soggy as they sit. In fact, almost every salad recipe featuring fresh greens makes a point to mention that the dressing should only be incorporated at the last moment to keep the leaves from turning limp and lifeless. However, there's one salad green that is the exception to this rule, and that's kale. This renegade leafy green actually benefits from getting (a little!) soggy.

Unlike iceberg lettuce or endive, which turn into a wilted mess and lose their bite when exposed to moisture, kale is a tougher contender. Even once its sturdy stems have been removed, it can stand up to a higher ratio of dressing and doesn't lose its firm structure so quickly. In fact, moisture can actually work to soften its naturally fibrous texture, making kale more pleasurable to eat. This is why many agree that you should always massage kale salad as the fat and acid in the dressing can encourage the leaves to tenderize and make them easier to chew. Alternatively, a method that requires less effort is to thoroughly coat your kale in vinaigrette. Then, leave it to sit in the bowl for 10 minutes or so before serving, which allows moisture to penetrate into the leaves and soften them.

The reason why kale is so tough is because it's high in a plant fiber called cellulose, which keeps cell walls firm and gives kale its shape. Massaging and moistening the salad green will break down these cell walls, making its texture more palatable when eaten raw. That said, feel free to be pretty rough when rubbing the dressing into the surface of the leaves. Forceful kneading, paired with the acidity and fat of the dressing, will encourage the sturdy leaves to soften and tenderize. However, don't rub them excessively as kale will eventually turn mushy if massaged for too long. In this recipe for kale and corn salad with ginger and lime dressing, the leaves are massaged for just several minutes until malleable.

Some other tips to remember including always washing your kale beforehand to remove dirt and get rid of potential foodborne pathogens that could be resting on the surface. Much like how variety can impact texture, how you chop kale matters more than you'd think, too — cutting the leaves into smaller pieces breaks down their structure further and makes them more manageable for fitting onto a fork. As long as the other elements in your recipe don't have a high water content, kale salad can rest for a bit while you prepare the rest of your meal. After all, given the texture of the kale, salads can even be made it in advance without becoming terribly soggy!