Tahini Kale Salad is healthy, easy and delicious! The homemade creamy dressing is made with tahini, olive oil, lemon and maple syrup.
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 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.
- Once you clean, de-stem and chop the kale, throw it into a salad bowl and add some 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.
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.
First, make the Tahini Salad Dressing.
Gently massage the greens with a little dressing with clean hands for about 2-3 minutes.
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!
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.
Recipe FAQs:
Simply add a small spoonful of cold water at a time until it loosens.
A massaged kale salad will keep for about 2-3 days. It will become more saturated as time goes on.
Tahini Kale Salad
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
This nutrition information is an estimate and should not be taken as fact. The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.
June
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! 😆
Yay! I'm so happy to hear this. 🙂
June
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
WOW! Thank you so much, June! This means the world. 🙂