Versatile kale salad with a creamy oil-free tahini dressing. Massaged kale, leftover cooked quinoa, and plenty of fresh veggies from the fridge.
On our way up to New York last weekend, my sister and I rode a particularly un-fun bus.
The driver forbid us from leaving the bus, “This bus doesn’t stop!”, so we stayed in our seats cross-legged and prayed for zero traffic.
The bus’s double doors spit us out on a busy intersection nowhere near Penn Station (what our tickets had promised).
We had intended to walk all the way to our hotel, but my luggage straps dug into my shoulder and my stomach was growling and the whole following maps thing wasn’t my forte.
After hailing our first cab of the trip (I always feel silly waving at yellow cars with my arms outstretched– do they know I feel like I’m playing pretend in the city???), we made it to the hotel, where I proceeded to flop down on the bed, unpack my Tupperware, and start shoveling kale and quinoa into my mouth.
Through mouthfuls of heaven, I asked Rachel, “You don’t mind if I eat, do you?”
I joked about putting it on the blog. Kidding, but not kidding.
And so here we are– My Go-To Kale Salad.
Easy, versatile, and sure to save your day…no matter where you are!
The ingredients are simple.
Shredded kale, raw and roasted chopped veg, and leftover quinoa.
Then you pile on fresh herbs for intrigue, pine nuts for crunch, and a big sprinkle of nutritional yeast for comfort.
Oh, and avocado, because…oh wait, one doesn’t need a reason when avocado is involved.
Typically I throw everything in a large mixing bowl, pour on a generous amount of lemon tahini, and mix well with salad tongs or massage with your hands.
If you can stand to wait for 5-10 minutes, the dressing breaks down and softens the kale and bit and takes everything to the next level.
Sometimes I can’t wait.
It’s cool, I feel you.
My dad wouldn’t like this salad.
His taste buds are genetically predisposed to think that cilantro tastes like soap. It’s a thing!
A thing I’m so glad I didn’t inherent, because I LOVE cilantro. It’s probably my favorite herb.
Cilantro has great detoxifying qualities, so load it up on this salad!
I teasingly sent him a picture text of a mountain of cilantro during the photoshoot and responded with a single emoji– it was the one that looked a little green around the gills.
HA.
Enjoy this Kale Salad whenever you’re craving a big bowl of something fresh and simple.
If you haven’t tried adding nutritional yeast to your salads yet, it adds a hearty boost of B-vitamins and the most uncanny crave-able “cheesy” flavor!
I usually throw my bowls together on the spot between photo-shoots with everything good left in the fridge.
The recipe called for quinoa, but you can sub any gluten-free grain or protein in its place.
Try using quinoa or grains because they give the salad a nice “sticky” texture, absorbing the dressing and nutritional yeast and making everything easier to catch with a fork and devour.
I used a mixture of bell peppers, red onion, and roasted baby carrots in my bowl, but any roasted or raw vegetable will work here!
Some other great ideas are: steamed broccoli, roasted cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, radishes, and cooked asparagus.
Yum.
If you make My Go-To Kale Salad, let me know!
Be sure to leave me a comment, rating, and review so I can use your feedback to create more yums.
Give me a shout on Instagram and use #floraandvino to show me your creations.
Check out my Pinterest page to pin more recipes like this one to make later.
For more fresh salads, check out my “Sweetgreeny” Detox Salad with Detox Tahini Dressing or Roasted Beet Salad with Citrus Tahini.
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My Go-To Kale Salad
- Total Time: 20 mins
- Yield: 2 salads
- Diet: Vegan
Description
Versatile kale salad with a creamy oil-free tahini dressing. Massaged kale, leftover cooked quinoa, and plenty of fresh veggies from the fridge.
Ingredients
Go-To Kale Salad
- 4 cups kale, shredded
- 2 small bell peppers, chopped
- 1 cup steamed/roasted baby carrots, chopped
- 1/2 small red onion, diced
- 2–4 TBSP pine nuts
- 1 cup cilantro, de-stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1 cup toasted quinoa, leftover grains, or protein of choice
- 1/2 large avocado or 1 small avocado, diced
Oil-Free Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup runny tahini
- 1/4 cup filtered water
- 2 TBSP lemon juice
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- pinch of Himalayan sea salt
- pinch of black pepper
- 2 TBSP nutritional yeast, optional
Instructions
- Make the lemon tahini dressing in advance by combining all of the ingredients in a small bowl and whisking until it’s creamy. Add more water as needed to thin the dressing to your desired consistency. Refrigerate it until ready for use.
- Wash and chop all vegetables you plan to use for the salad.
- To make the salad, add all of the ingredients to a large bowl and toss them to combine. Pour on 1/4 cup lemon tahini dressing and massage everything with your hands to coat everything. Allow the salad to sit for a few minutes before serving to allow the kale to break down.
- Serve the salad with more lemon tahini dressing and sprinkle of nutritional yeast.
- Store leftovers separately in the fridge for up to one week and reassemble before serving.
Notes
Recipe inspired by Tone It Up
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 0 mins
- Category: Salad, Lunch
- Method: Hand-mix
- Cuisine: Vegan, Oil-Free, Gluten-Free
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