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Home » Salads

Tahini Kale Salad

Jan 25, 2023 · This post may contain affiliate links · 4 Comments

Jump to Recipe

Tahini Kale Salad is healthy, easy and delicious! The homemade creamy dressing is made with tahini, olive oil, lemon and maple syrup.

Kale salad in a wooden bowl.

Why you'll love Tahini Kale Salad:

This salad has sweetness, acidity, saltiness and crunch - the perfect balance of flavors!

You will want to drink the creamy tahini dressing! I recommend making a double batch and storing it in your fridge.

This is my current new favorite salad recipe. I have a feeling you will be making it on repeat too!

Ingredients for kale salad tahini.

Ingredients in the Tahini Salad Dressing:

  • tahini - Make sure it's nice and drippy - not thick or clumpy or it won't combine.
  • extra virgin olive oil  - Good quality extra virgin olive oil is key.
  • fresh lemon juice
  • pure maple syrup
  • cold water
  • Dijon mustard 
  • garlic powder
  • salt and pepper

Ingredients in the salad:

  • chopped curly kale - You can also use your favorite variety of kale.
  • thinly sliced red onion - I don't like too much onion in my salad so I only use a little.
  • thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes - I used sun-dried tomatoes that were not in oil. If yours are in oil, be sure to drain them.
  • shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
  • pine nuts

A complete list of ingredients, amounts and instructions is located on the recipe card below.

Why massage kale?

Massaging kale is a MUST especially if you have a sensitive tummy.

Massaging a bit of the salad dressing into the kale before adding the other ingredients helps to make the leaves more tender, easier to digest and less bitter.

  1. Once you clean, de-stem and chop the kale, throw it into a salad bowl and add some dressing.
  2. Gently massage the greens with clean hands for about 2-3 minutes.
  3. You will feel that the leaves are not as tough after massaging.

If you use baby kale, you do not have to massage it.

How to make kale salad with tahini dressing:

This is an overview of the recipe with photos. Complete instructions are located on the recipe card below.

Tahini dressing in a jar.

First, make the Tahini Salad Dressing.

Hand massaging kale in a bowl.

Gently massage the greens with a little dressing with clean hands for about 2-3 minutes.

Tahini Kale Salad in a bowl.

Add the red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and pine nuts to the bowl.

Pouring dressing over kale salad.

Pour desired amount of the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy!

Recipe Pro-Tips:

Shake or whisk the dressing really well.

Tahini makes this dressing thick and creamy. If your dressing becomes too thick, just add a little more cold water.

Don't forget to remove the stems from the kale leaves!

Toss the salad well until everything is coated well in dressing.

You can add less or more of certain ingredients to make the salad perfect for you.

Recipe Variations:

  • Add a protein like Blackened Chicken, Shredded Chicken or chickpeas and make it a meal!
  • Add Gluten Free Croutons.
  • Use chopped pistachios in place of pine nuts.
  • Swap out sun-dried tomatoes for a dried fruit.
  • If you're allergic to nuts, use roasted pumpkin seeds instead.
Kale salad in a wooden bowl.

Recipe FAQs:

How do you loosen thick tahini?

Simply add a small spoonful of cold water at a time until it loosens.

How long will massaged kale salad keep?

A massaged kale salad will keep for about 2-3 days. It will become more saturated as time goes on.

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Kale salad with Tahini Salad Dressing.

Tahini Kale Salad

Tahini Kale Salad is healthy, easy and delicious! The homemade creamy dressing is made with tahini, olive oil, lemon and maple syrup.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 12 mins
Cook Time 0 mins
Course Main Course, Salad, Side Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 4 servings
Calories 242 kcal

Ingredients
  

Ingredients in the Tahini Salad Dressing:

  • 2 tablespoons tahini  - Make sure it's nice and drippy - not thick or clumpy or it won't combine.
  • 1 ½ tablespoons extra virgin olive oil  - Good quality extra virgin olive oil is key.
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon cold water
  • ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard 
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients in the salad:

  • 6 cups chopped curly kale - You can also use your favorite variety of kale.
  • ⅙ of a small red onion, thinly sliced - I don't like too much onion in my salad so I only use a little.
  • ⅓ cup thinly sliced sun-dried tomatoes - I used sun-dried tomatoes that were not in oil. If yours are in oil, be sure to drain them.
  • ⅓ cup shaved or shredded parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons pine nuts

Instructions
 

  • First, make the Tahini Salad Dressing. Place all the ingredients into a small jar. Put the lid on and shake until combined. Alternatively, use a fork and whisk the dressing very well.
  • Once you clean, de-stem and chop the kale, throw it into a salad bowl and add about 1-1 ½ tablespoons of the dressing. Gently massage the greens with clean hands for about 2-3 minutes. You will feel that the leaves are not as tough after massaging.
  • Add the red onion, sun-dried tomatoes, parmesan, and pine nuts to the bowl.
  • Pour desired amount of the dressing over the salad, toss and enjoy!

Notes

Recipe yields about 4 small side salads or 2 larger servings.
Nutrition Facts
Tahini Kale Salad
Amount Per Serving
Calories 242 Calories from Fat 162
% Daily Value*
Fat 18g28%
Saturated Fat 3g19%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g
Monounsaturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 6mg2%
Sodium 217mg9%
Potassium 773mg22%
Carbohydrates 15g5%
Fiber 6g25%
Sugar 6g7%
Protein 10g20%
Vitamin A 10193IU204%
Vitamin C 101mg122%
Calcium 380mg38%
Iron 3mg17%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This nutrition information is an estimate and should not be taken as fact. The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Tried this recipe?Tell me how it was!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. June

    February 03, 2023 at 8:54 am

    5 stars
    I wasn’t quite sure what I’d make of the dressing. I tasted it & it was ok, but I don’t usually add dressing to my salads, anyway I followed it to the letter & gave it a go. OMG it was absolutely delicious! All the flavours just meld together, it was so tasty. I have made enough dressing & have enough ingredients for the next couple of days, so can’t wait for tomorrow’s lunch to come around again! Thank you so much for this recipe.
    P.S. l have heard of massaging kale,but never tried it until today. It was lovely, it removes the bitterness. Will be eating it a lot more in salads instead of ‘hiding’ it away in smoothies! 😆

    Reply
    • krista

      February 03, 2023 at 9:04 am

      Yay! I'm so happy to hear this. 🙂

      Reply
  2. June

    February 08, 2023 at 12:39 pm

    5 stars
    Krista, what have you done to me? I can’t stop eating this salad! 😆
    I’ve had it for lunch5 days out of 6 😳 I know I’ve already given a review, but just had to say again how wonderful & scrummy this is. Only one word for it! SCRUMDIDLIUMPTIOUS !!!! THank you so much

    Reply
    • krista

      February 08, 2023 at 3:06 pm

      WOW! Thank you so much, June! This means the world. 🙂

      Reply

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