This kale crunch salad is a perfect balance of crisp, creamy, and hearty flavors, making it a delicious and nutritious addition to any meal. Packed with crunchy romaine, fresh kale, sliced radishes, and creamy feta cheese, this salad is both light and satisfying. The real star is the tahini dressing, a rich and creamy Caesar-style dressing that adds a nutty depth of flavor without making the salad feel too heavy.
During the heat of summer, it can be challenging to come up with no-cook meal ideas that are both light and satisfying. That’s where this kale salad tahini dressing comes to the rescue!
This kale crunch salad recipe is the perfect main dish salad—it’s fresh, healthy, and packed with flavor, yet hearty enough to keep even big eaters satisfied. The combination of crisp kale, crunchy vegetables, and creamy tahini dressing creates an irresistible blend of texture and natural sweetness. Whether you’re making it for a quick lunch, side dish, or vegetarian dinner, this tahini dressing for kale salad makes every bite deliciously rich and well-balanced—without feeling too heavy.
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Why We Love This Kale Salad Tahini Dressing
- Hearty enough to be a main dish
This kale crunch salad is packed with crispy romaine, hearty kale, protein-rich chickpeas, and tangy feta cheese, making it satisfying enough for lunch or dinner. The tahini dressing for kale salad adds a luscious, creamy finish, making every bite incredibly flavorful. It also pairs beautifully as a side with steaks on a Blackstone, crock pot pork chops, or our navy beans soup in an Instant Pot recipe. - Easy to customize
This Greek kale salad is incredibly versatile! You can toss in any fresh produce from your fridge for a unique, delicious twist every time. In the fall, we love adding roasted acorn squash or sweet potatoes, while in the summer, Blackstone vegetables bring a smoky, charred flavor. Year-round, pomegranate seeds add a fun burst of tart and sweet goodness. - Simple & make-ahead friendly
The tahini vinaigrette can be made in advance and stored in a mason jar—just shake it up before drizzling it over your salad! This makes it perfect for meal prep, so you can enjoy a fresh, nutritious salad whenever you’re ready.
Our green goddess cobb salad is another delicious main dish salad. It’s dairy-free and gluten-free, too.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
For the base of the kale salad
- Kale: This healthy green has a slight bitter flavor. Massaging helps reduce the bitterness (see our tips below), or you can use baby kale, which has a milder flavor.
- Romaine lettuce: Because kale is soft and doesn’t have much crunch factor, we include romaine too. You can substitute it with any salad greens you enjoy. Iceberg and butter lettuce are good options.
- Feta cheese: Feta is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean salads, but you can leave it out. Or, use a different variety of crumbled cheese like Stilton.
- Purple cabbage: The reddish-purple color adds a nice visual pop, but green cabbage would be fine.
Tahini Dressing Ingredients
- Avocado oil: Any mild-flavored cooking oil is fine.
- Tahini paste: Tahini is made by grinding roasted sesame seeds into a paste. Good quality tahini paste has a subtly-sweet and nutty flavor, with a well-balanced hint of bitterness on the finish.
Although it has a similar taste to peanut butter, tahini is thinner in consistency than nut butter. Not only is it tasty, but two tablespoons of tahini provides 8 grams of protein. That makes it ideal as a salad dressing ingredient. - Lime and/or lemon juice – We like the sweet-tart combo of lemon and lime juice together. You can use one or the other.
- Maple syrup – Honey is a great substitute
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the greens: Use Lacinato kale (dinosaur kale) or curly kale for different textures and flavors. Lacinato kale is softer and slightly sweeter, while curly kale adds extra crunch.
- Change the cheese: Instead of feta, try parmesan cheese for a sharper, saltier bite or goat cheese for a creamy, tangy contrast.
- Add some crunch: Toss in walnuts, pecans, roasted almonds, or sunflower seeds for extra texture and nuttiness.
- Sweet & savory balance: Add dried cranberries or chopped apples for a touch of natural sweetness that complements the tahini dressing.
- Make it vegan: Skip the cheese and swap honey (if used in the dressing) for maple syrup or agave to keep this salad 100% vegan.
- Boost the tanginess: Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the tahini dressing for a more vibrant, tangy flavor.
- Protein-packed option: Top your salad with grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, or tofu nuggets for a complete, satisfying meal.
Equipment Used in this Recipe
- Large serving bowl
- Salad serving tongs
How to Massage Kale
Kale is often overlooked as a salad green because it can be a bit tough and chewy. This simple trick shows you how to soften the greens so they’re as tender as romaine lettuce. Massaging also eliminates some of the bitter flavor.
- After chopping the leaves, add them to a bowl.
- Using your clean hands as a scoop, pick up the kale and slide your hands in opposite directions to massage the leaves. This simple massaging action bruises the surface of the leaves.
Another benefit of this quick extra step is that the soft leaves will absorb the tahini dressing better.
Video – Massaging Kale
Watch this video to see how easy it is to massage the greens for your Greek salad:
How to Make Tahini Dressing for Kale Salad
- To make the salad dressing, you can use a small blender, an immersion blender, or even just a whisk.
- Combine all ingredients, except for the water, and whisk or mix until well blended. Add the water and blend again to completely emulsify the dressing. The dressing should be creamy and pourable.
- Toss the kale salad tahini dressing just before serving.
🎯 TFN Pro Tip
Assembling Greek Kale Salad
If you’re preparing this ahead of time, it’s best to leave the salad unassembled until you’re ready to serve. You can prepare the veggies and other ingredients, but keep them in separate from the greens until it’s time to toss them with the dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This salad pairs beautifully with a variety of proteins and sides, making it a versatile dish for any meal. Serve it alongside chicken breasts with gravy, Cheesecake Factory style chicken piccata, or smoked shrimp for a healthy, low-calorie, keto-friendly dinner. It also makes a great side for a rich and creamy penne al Salmone dinner.
If you’re enjoying this Greek-inspired salad as a main dish, pair it with warm pita bread or old fashioned yeast rolls to make it more filling. For added crunch and nutrients, toss in pumpkin seeds or serve it with a side of crispy salmon or chicken nuggets. Whether you’re looking for a light, refreshing side or a hearty vegetarian meal, this kale salad tahini dressing is the perfect choice!
Recipe FAQs
Suitable substitutions for tahini paste are sunflower seed butter, almond or cashew butter, or peanut butter.
For a nice tang, add more lemon or lime juice, or to keep the flavor the same, add 1-2 Tablespoons of water.
Yes, you can store leftovers! For best storage, keep the salad ingredients and tahini dressing separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. Stored this way, the salad will stay fresh for up to 3-4 days. Add the dressing right before serving to keep the salad crisp and delicious.
Love Quick 30 Minute Meals? Here’s More To Love…
- Italian Baked Chicken Cutlets
- Beefy Green Bean Casserole with Tater Tots
- Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin With Potatoes and Gravy
If you tried this kale salad with tahini dressing recipe or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below. Thanks for visiting!
Kale Crunch Salad
Equipment
- large serving bowl
- salad serving tongs
Ingredients
Salad Ingredients
- 4 cups chopped kale (I prefer the lacinato or flat leafed kale)
- 2 cups chopped romaine lettuce
- 4 ounces feta cheese crumbled
- ½ cup purple (red) cabbage shredded
- 3 radishes scrubbed and thinly sliced
Optional Garnishes
- 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds
- ½ cup sweet potato cubes roasted
- ½ cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
- 2 tablespoons French fried onions
Tahini Dressing Ingredients
- ¼ cup avocado oil or extra-virgin olive oil, or vegetable oil
- ¼ cup tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons lime juice or lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- ¼ teaspoon Kosher salt or more/less, to your taste
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or more/less, to your taste
Instructions
Salad
- Add kale to salad bowl and massage the leaves (see video and instructions "how to soften kale" in notes). Top with romaine lettuce and toss to combine the greens together. Layer remaining salad ingredients, including optional garnishes.
- As a make-ahead salad, leave out the optional sweet potatoes and onions until serving. Store in a sealed container for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
Tahini Dressing
- I use a small blender or emersion blender to mix the salad dressing, but you can use a whisk and small bowl.
- Mix together oil, tahini, lime juice, mustard, and syrup then whisk or blend until they are well blended. Then add the cold water and blend together until emulsified. The mixture should be creamy, but pourable.
- Covered dressing will keep for about 4 weeks in the refrigerator.
Video
Notes
-
- Switch up the greens: Use Lacinato kale (dinosaur kale) or curly kale for different textures and flavors. Lacinato kale is softer and slightly sweeter, while curly kale adds extra crunch.
-
- Change the cheese: Instead of feta, try parmesan cheese for a sharper, saltier bite or goat cheese for a creamy, tangy contrast.
-
- Add some crunch: Toss in walnuts, pecans, roasted almonds, or sunflower seeds for extra texture and nuttiness.
-
- Sweet & savory balance: Add dried cranberries or chopped apples for a touch of natural sweetness that complements the tahini dressing.
-
- Make it vegan: Skip the cheese and swap honey (if used in the dressing) for maple syrup or agave to keep this salad 100% vegan.
-
- Boost the tanginess: Add a splash of apple cider vinegar to the tahini dressing for a more vibrant, tangy flavor.
-
- Protein-packed option: Top your salad with grilled chicken, roasted chickpeas, or tofu nuggets for a complete, satisfying meal.
- If you’re preparing this ahead of time, it’s best to leave the salad unassembled until you’re ready to serve. You can prepare the veggies and other ingredients, but keep them in separate from the greens until it’s time to toss them with the dressing.
- As a make-ahead salad, leave out the optional sweet potatoes and onions until serving. Store in a sealed container for 1-2 days in the refrigerator.
- If you’re preparing this ahead of time, it’s best to leave the salad unassembled until you’re ready to serve. You can prepare the veggies and other ingredients, but keep them in separate from the greens until it’s time to toss them with the dressing.
Nutrition
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Ann says
I’m still on the kale bandwagon. So I’m loving this dressing to elevate this salad.