Best-tasting Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing that's packed with nutrients! This is my go-to healthy salad to boost my iron and antioxidants. Plus, it's a quick and easy way to get your daily greens. Meal prep-friendly for lunch on the go.
There are several reasons why this Kale salad with Tahini Dressing is extremely good for you! Kale is low in calories and packed with nutrition-vitamins, minerals, anti-inflammatory compounds, antioxidant phytonutrients-you name it. Given its high antioxidant capacity, it's no surprise that kale showed a protective effect on the oxidation of LDL cholesterol even at low concentrations.
Kale is also rich in iron. Consuming vitamin C-rich foods alongside iron-rich foods can enhance its absorption. That's why this healthy kale salad uses lemon juice, rich in vitamin C, to massage the kale, breaking down the tough fibers so you can absorb even more iron!
Pair this kale salad with my Chopped Salad Sandwich for a healthy combo. This recipe was inspired by my White Bean Kale Salad on this site, as well as this Kale Salad with Chickpeas in a mason jar.
Jump to:
📖 Ingredients
For the Kale Salad:
- Lacinato or curly kale: In terms of nutritional content, there isn't a significant difference between lacinato kale and curly kale. They both provide similar amounts of essential nutrients such as vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, calcium, and iron.
- Hemp hearts add some protein to this salad. Two tablespoons contain almost 7 grams of protein, the same as found in two egg whites! They are also rich in magnesium and iron.
- Dried cranberries: The ruby red phytonutrients in cranberries are powerful antioxidants, increasing the antioxidant capacity of our bloodstream within hours of consumption. I used unsweetened dried cranberries for maximum health benefits.
- Olive oil (optional)
- Shallots
- Lemon zest and juice
For the Tahini Dressing:
- Miso is a fermented food so it's great for gut health, and even though it can be quite salty, the sodium in miso does not raise blood pressure like table salt does!
- Tahini is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It has a creamy texture and a nutty flavor. It's rich in healthy fats, protein, and minerals like calcium, magnesium, and iron. Tahini is commonly found in grocery stores and is also used in vegan and vegetarian cooking as a substitute for dairy-based ingredients.
See the recipe card for quantities.
🥬 Substitutions
- Kale - use lacinato kale (also known as Dinosaur kale, Tuscan kale, or Cavolo nero), or curly kale
- Shallots - substitute with my Quick Pickled Onions, or red onion
- Shelled sunflower seeds - use pepitas instead, or omit them entirely
- Tamari - use gluten-free tamari for a gluten-free dressing
For more easy and healthy recipes, visit my Vegan Salad Recipes page.
📖 How to Make Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
For the full recipe with quantities, scroll down to the bottom of the post. This is an overview.
Step 1. Rinse the kale leaves under cold water to remove any dirt or debris. Stem and roughly chop the kale.
Step 2. Zest the lemon and chop the shallots.
Step 3. Massage the kale: Transfer the kale to a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil (if using), lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon of lemon zest. Massage the kale until tender.
Then add the shallots, hemp seeds, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds. Toss to combine. Set aside.
Step 4. Make the tahini dressing: Mix the rice vinegar, tahini, maple syrup, miso, tamari, and ginger in a medium bowl. Grate or press the garlic into the bowl. Mix well to combine. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time as needed until the desired taste and consistency.
✔️ Expert tips
- To strip the kale leaves off of the stems quickly, run them through the loop on the end of a pair of tongs.
- How to get the most juice from your lemon: Roll it on a flat surface, slightly forward and backward with the palm of your hand. Apply some force and turn the lemon as you go, for about 30 seconds, or just until you feel that the outer layer of the fruit has softened. This breaks down the outer membrane, paving the way for easier juicing.
- Storage: Refrigerate Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Kale leaves are very hardy so this salad does not become mushy. Or add the dressing for serving and store the dressing in a separate container for maximum freshness.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
Massaging the kale leaves with a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice significantly reduces bitterness. In addition, try adding some spicy or sweet flavors to help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale.
If you ingest large amounts of unshelled sunflower seeds, you can end up with a colonic phytobezoar with anal impaction. In other words, with a fist-sized mass of shredded sunflower seed shells in your colon.
Using clean hands, gently massage the kale leaves for 2 to 3 minutes. Use a squeezing and kneading motion, working the oil, acid, and seasonings into the leaves. The kale will become darker in color and more tender as you massage it.
🍽 Related Recipes
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Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale (1 bunch) stemmed
- Drizzle of olive oil (optional)
- 1 medium lemon zest and juice
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced shallots (about 1 medium shallot)
- 3 tablespoons hemp hearts
- ⅓ cup shelled sunflower seeds or shelled pumpkin seeds
- ⅓ cup dried cranberries (optional)
For the Miso Tahini Dressing:
- 4 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons tahini
- 1 ½ tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 ½ tablespoons mellow miso or white miso
- 1 ½ tablespoons tamari or soy sauce (preferably low sodium)
- ½ inch ginger grated
- 1 large clove garlic
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Instructions
- Massage the kale: Transfer the kale to a large bowl. Add a drizzle of olive oil (if using), lemon juice, and ½ teaspoon lemon zest. Massage the kale until tender.
- Combine salad ingredients: Then add the shallots, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, and dried cranberries. Toss to combine. Set aside.
- Make the dressing: Mix the rice vinegar, tahini, maple syrup, miso, tamari, and ginger in a medium bowl. Grate or press the garlic into the bowl. Mix well to combine. Add cold water one tablespoon at a time as needed until the desired taste and consistency.
- Toss the salad with the desired amount of dressing.
Notes
- To strip the kale leaves off of the stems quickly, run them through the loop on the end of a pair of tongs.
- Storage: Refrigerate Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Kale leaves are very hardy so this salad does not become mushy. Or add the dressing for serving and store the dressing in a separate container for maximum freshness.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is only an estimate. Nutritional values may vary depending on factors such as product types and brands used.
Ruchita says
This is the BEST Kale salad!! The dressing is superb as well, unlike anything and so easy to put together. I wanted to make my own tahini and I’m glad the effort was worth it.I followed the instructions and so pleased that there is leftover dressing. I substituted goji berries instead of cranberries. The flavor was surprisingly wonderful and went very well with the salad. It’s definitely a keeper and a staple in my house. Thank you again Nisha for everything you do!!!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your lovely comment! I appreciate you taking the the time to leave one. So glad you enjoyed this salad.
Amie says
I found this recipe in your cookbook. My omnivore boyfriend didn't know he liked kale until he had this salad. Now he requests it all the time! This dressing is truly the best. I had unsweetened tart cherries, which I put in a shallow amount of boiling water to soften. Not the same nutrients as cranberries, but I had them on hand. They tasted WONDERFUL in this. Thank you for all the extra nutritional information you include in your recipes and cookbook.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Cherries are very nutritious! Great addition. Thank you for commenting. So glad he liked it too!
Catherine says
Made this yesterday, absolutely wonderful. Contemplating running out to the market to buy more kale! 😉I could eat this everyday. Thank you
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww I truly appreciate your comment and so glad that you enjoyed this salad so much!
Violet Pickles says
The dressing is good but I think the measurements might be off bc it was a bit too salty for me and my salt loving boyfriend. We added lime and it slightly improved it. I added 3 mandarin oranges and some
More maple but it was not that much better. I’ll still eat it but pace myself. CFO has knockouts for recipes. This one was tough for me
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. You should be using reduced-sodium tamari and unseasoned rice vinegar. I always purchased the lowest sodium options.
Vera says
Best-tasting kale salad, I‘ve kept to the recipe, used Lacinato kale and pepitas.
This is already one of my favourite recipes with kale and I know I will be making it very often. And it goes so quick! I just put everything together in one bowl, the dressing ingredients as well. I made just a portion for one person, myself, I used five big leaves of the kale and adjusted the rest of the ingredients. Wonderful. Thank you Nisha!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your kind comment. So glad you are enjoying this salad.
Lori Obert says
I love tahini and make a tahini lemon dressing I regularly use. I was looking for something different and had a head of kale and decided to try this recipe. I was suspect of the mix of ingredients in the dressing as I thought it would be too much going on but came together so well. I love it, will definitely be making again!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Yay! I am glad you gave it a go and enjoyed the results! Thank you for commenting.
laure says
Yummy! It was yummy. Good balance of flavors.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So happy to hear you enjoyed this salad! Thank you.
Elizabeth Peace says
Thank you!! This was so delicious! I didn’t use dried cranberries, but I added artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, hearts of palm and fresh dill. I can’t wait to make it again😊
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Delicious additions. Thank you for sharing.
Joan Bitterman says
This salad is superb! The flavors come together miraculously, and the texture is very satisfying. Everyone loved it.
I chopped the kale before rinsing and drying in a salad spinner. I think I should have washed it before cutting, as the recipe suggests, because I probably lost some nutrients. The water was dark green, so I poured it on my plants. Massaged with lemon and a generous amount of olive oil and could feel after a few minutes how the leaves were getting softer. The dressing is superb, and I am happy that I used the recommended low-sodium tamari, as the miso has a lot of salt. At the end, I added a few chopped romaine leaves for crunchiness and an avocado for fat, as our meal had almost no other fat in it. We served the salad with Brazilian black beans, quinoa, and a salad of citrus and papaya. What a hit! Thank you for this keeper recipe that my family will be having once a week for the foreseeable future! 🙂
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Happy plants! Love it with avocado too and your meal sounds amazing! Thank you for sharing.
Gail says
Delish - dressing really makes it.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad you enjoyed the dressing! Thank you.
Julia says
I made this salad today, it was delicious. After the massage, I put kale for six minuts in the oven. I add edamame beans en avocado instead cranberries. I will eat the rest tomorrow, can't wait it! I love your recipies. Thank you.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
This sounds great! Thank you.
Michelle says
Yum! My husband loved this salad and said it was the "best-tasting kale salad" he has ever said. I laughed and told him it was named the "best-tasting kale salad." I added some crumbled and seasoned tempeh on top. I'm a fellow RD and am excited to try more of your recipes. Thanks!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi fellow RD and thanks for trusting my recipes! So funny about the name!!! Makes me smile. Thank you.
Beverly says
We LOVE this salad!! We've made it at least a dozen times in the past couple of months and every time we make it my husband says, "I could eat this everyday!"
We usually do a mix of kale & another green. We especially love to use a bunch of dinosaur kale and a bunch of dandelion.
We switch up the toppings a bit, sometimes pomegranates instead of cranberries, pumpkin seeds instead of sunflower and sometimes we add little chopped cubes of jicama for more crunch! The dressing is outstanding!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you. I love the crunch jicama addition. I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
Nevena says
Great salad
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you!
Mary says
Aptly named!!! This was easy and delish. I'll have no problem finishing a bunch of kale ever again!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
So glad to hear you are enjoying kale this way! Thank you.
Susan Brown says
Love this recipe!
My dtr is breastfeeding and 6mo has excema, she is avoiding dairy and gluten, is there anything she can eat to help the baby?
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. I would need more information to be able to help you. If you are able to hire a dietitian, that would be best.
Debbie says
Just made this salad and it’s great! I added some of the dressing to a drained and rinsed can of cannoli beans and topped our salad with it. This is a keeper!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Love your additions. Thank you for sharing.
Penny says
This is a scrumptious salad that I could eat several times a week! I used the Tuscan/Dinosaur Kale and this would be the best one to use in my opinion. I had no idea how good dinosaur kale with olive oil and salt massaged in could taste! The dressing is a creamy, savoury winner. Thank you for sharing this one Ms Melvani. It’s a knock out. My diet is being transformed with your recipes.
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Thank you for your lovely comment. I so enjoyed reading it!
gabrielle says
The dressing is outstanding! And so easy. Thanks for yet another delish addition to my kitchen
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
I'm so glad. Thank you!
PATRICK M GARVIN says
Nisha: I love your food! Normally, I just jump around the internet looking for recipes, but I think I've found a home. Cooking for Peanuts! I'm so impressed I created a Pinterest page named "Cooking for Peanuts" just so I don't have to search Pinterest for your recipes.
I first saw you in reels several months ago on YouTube of TikTok. Every time I saw you, I thought to myself, "I've gotta try this."
Thank you for the macros at the bottom of your recipes. So many people don't do that. And it's important.
I'm relatively new to plant-based eating. My only complaint about plant-based eating, in general, is that it takes a lot of time. I've lost some weight ... and I don't want to. I've lost muscle too, and of course, I don't want to. Working on getting my act together on that front. I'm hoping that if I stick with your recipes I'll become familiar with your methods and and thereby reduce the time I spend cooking.
Thanks for being here!
Patrick
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Welcome! I'm thrilled to have you here! I understand your concern about losing muscle mass! I have not found that to be an issue when eating like this to date. I take 1 tsp creatine after working out which can't hurt and may help!
Rachel says
Hi Nisha,
I'd love to know which creatine or other vegan supplements you use. I'm a fan of your website and want to thank you for all of the wonderful, healthy, vegan recipes and ideas!
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Hi. This is the creatine I use: https://amzn.to/3Shqpu4
I added it to my Amazon shop. https://amzn.to/4blp9NB
I also take vitamin d, b12, cocoavia, and Bragg marine algae omega 3. I have added these to my amazon store now. Hope this helps.
Christine Simpson says
This is so unbelievably good. I would never normally use raw shallots in my salad . But this is delish and so easy to make . The dressing with the lemon on the kale! I bought two of your cookbooks after watching your utube videos. Thank you! Now off to you Amazon store
Nisha Melvani, RDN says
Awww... thank you so much for your support. I am glad you are here and appreciate your comment.