Kale Crunch Salad
This kale crunch salad is fresh and flavorful, topped with a creamy tahini dressing. Enjoy this healthy, protein-packed salad as a main dish or side!
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 225kcal
Equipment
- 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
- 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.
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- 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.
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- Change the cheese: Instead of feta, try parmesan cheese for a sharper, saltier bite or goat cheese for a creamy, tangy contrast.
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- Add some crunch: Toss in walnuts, pecans, roasted almonds, or sunflower seeds for extra texture and nuttiness.
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- Sweet & savory balance: Add dried cranberries or chopped apples for a touch of natural sweetness that complements the tahini dressing.
- After chopping the kale, add it to a salad bowl. Using your clean hands, scoop up the kale and slide your hands in opposite directions to massage the kale. This simple massaging action bruises the surface of the leaves, which softens them.
- Another benefit of massaging kale is, the soft leaves will absorb the dressing more evenly. Plus, it gives you a chance to pick out any of the kale stems that remain.
- 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
Serving: 1cup | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 11mg | Sodium: 190mg | Potassium: 399mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 7545IU | Vitamin C: 61mg | Calcium: 161mg | Iron: 2mg
