The short answer is no. If you are going to be using giant pieces of kale in a recipe then it might make sense. It will break down the cellulose in the leaves and make them more tender. However if you are tearing your kale into small pieces or chopping it, it is completely unnecessary. You may have heard someone talk about "massaging" kale. They use salt and oil or citrus juice to literally massage the leaves and make them softer. This is NOT my personal preference as it yields an almost "wilted greens" texture. I prefer crisp and crunchy, well hydrated kale in my salad. You choose what you and your family like best. Once your kale is removed from the stems, torn into bite-size pieces it's ready for making Winter Kale Salad with Apples and Butternut Squash. The kale is not massaged and it. is. scrumptious. The acid in the lemon poppy seed dressing tenderizes the leaves without any need for massaging.