Isn’t she purty? This stunner of a salad came to be when I was craving a hearty, satisfying, and veg-heavy lunch. Like my Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad and Roasted Potato, Mushroom and Lentil Kale Salad, it’s just what the doctor ordered! The farmer’s market is brimming with gorgeous ripe cucumbers, tomatoes and greens right now. Bonus points if you score most of your produce for this dream lunch from local pals. I like to cook the quinoa ahead of time and buy pre-chopped kale in a pinch. I’m all about optimizing the convenience factor so things come together in a snap when meal time rolls around. Who’s with me?
How to make kale salad with tahini dressing
Key ingredients
Kale: you can use curly kale or lacinato kale. You can also buy pre-chopped, just be sure to remove the tough stems.Quinoa: for body and filling factor.Almonds: I love the nutty crunch pf almonds here. Any nut or seed you fancy will work.Cheese: feta or goat cheese or delish here for creaminess and tang.Cucumber and tomatoes: the fresh, juicy veggie friends that bring this salad to life.Avocado: I love the creamy texture and yummy flavor avocado adds, but you can easily omit it.Sun dried tomatoes: these addd lovely flavor and flare to our dressing. Regular or oil-packed worked, no need to soak if oil-packed.Extra virgin olive oil: to make the dressing rich and smooth.Red wine vinegar: the lovely acid for our dressing. Apple cider vinegar also works.Tahini: I’m obsessed with the dimension and creaminess tahini adds. You could also use almond butter.Honey: to balance out all the acid. Any sweetener will work.Salt and pepper: to season everything to perfection!
How to cook quinoa
Did you know quinoa is technically a seed? That’s what they mean by “pseudo-grain.” I used white quinoa for this recipe, but you could also use red or tri-color. Quinoa is fab because it’s a complete plant protein, trumping the protein content of other whole grains. Boom!
What to serve with this salad
This salad is great as a side dish and also hearty enough for a main meal. Try it with:
chickpeas, salmon or shrimpsnack plate pairings like seedy crackers, grapes, and scoop of hummussalmon burgers or sweet potato black bean burgers
Make ahead tips
You can easily whip up the dressing ahead of time! It will thicken in the fridge, so stir in water as needed to loosen it up. The quinoa can me made in advance to make this come together even more quickly.
Storage tips
This salad will last up to two days in the fridge for the best flavor. If you want it to last all week, store the dressing separately from th rest of the ingredients and toss right before serving. Add avocado right before serving as well.
More healthy salads to love
Healthy Broccoli SaladSummer Quinoa SaladStrawberry Balsamic Spinach SaladCaesar Salad with Kale and Brussels Sprouts
⅓ cup sun-dried tomatoes 3 tbsp tahini 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 3 tbsp red wine vinegar ¾ cup water 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup ½ tsp garlic powder 1 tsp fine sea salt + freshly ground black pepper
