First wash your kale, and remove the tough stems.I remove the stems by holding the end of the stem in one hand, and running my other hand along it to strip the leaves from the stalk.
Roughly tear or chop the kale, and put it in a large bowl.
Sprinkle the salt over the kale, and then, with your hands, rub and gently knead the leaves. As you massage, you will see the kale shrink down, soften and change in colour.Massaging kale can take between 1-3 minutes. Try it as you go and stop when it reaches a texture you like.
Toast the sunflower seeds in a pan on medium-high heat on the hob. Be careful not to burn them. Keep an eye on the toasting seeds and stir around frequently, as they can suddenly go dark really quickly when the pan comes up to temperature.
Combine the lemon juice, maple syrup and grated ginger to make the dressing.
In a salad bowl, combine the massaged kale with sliced apple and add the dressing. Toss around and top with the toasted sunflower seeds for serving.
Notes
We used curly kale in this salad. You can also use the darker lacinato or Tuscan kale too. You can save your kale stems and stir fry them until tender, or add them to soup. Feel free to customise this recipe to suit you! You'll find lots of ideas in the post above.