This massaged kale tahini salad is packed with fall flavors and crunchy textures. An elegant side dish that’s sure to become a favorite.
A hearty kale salad is a staple of my fall/winter cooking canon. Whereas my summer salads skew light, with juicy fruit and veg, cold weather salads should be packed with crunchy textures and feel grounding.
This kale apple salad with walnuts, quick-pickled red onions, and creamy tahini dressing has both sweet and acidic notes, and the layered textures make it so satisfying to eat. It makes for an elegant side dish for almost any main, and would be fabulous for Thanksgiving and other holidays.
Key Ingredients + Substitutions
- Kale: This salad calls for curly kale, not Tuscan/dinosaur kale.
- Apple: I love the tang and crunch of a green Granny Smith apple here, but you could also use a sweet variety, such as Pink Lady.
- Tahini: This Middle Eastern sesame seed paste is available in most supermarkets, either in the international foods aisle or near the other nut butters. Tahini can vary widely in taste and texture, so you may have to try a few to find one you like. In my experience, Middle Eastern brands are best (but the Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods 365 versions are great too). Look for tahini that’s light beige, runny, and not gritty.
- Walnuts: Add crunch to the salad. Can be substituted with pecans.
- Dried Cranberries: The sweetness balances the acidity of the other ingredients.
How to Make Tahini Kale Salad (Step-by-Step Photos)
Find complete instructions with ingredient amounts in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Marinate the Onions
Unlike traditional quick-pickled onions, these are simply tossed in balsamic vinegar. Let these sit while you prep the other ingredients (for at least 15 minutes) – the onions’ pungency will mellow out, and they’ll soften and become tangy.
Step 2: Prep the Kale
Tear the leaves off the stems and discard the stems. Chop the leaves very finely – this is important so the salad is easy to eat. (Trust me, nobody wants to chew on a giant kale leaf like a rabbit!)
Step 3: Make the Tahini Dressing
In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and whisk until smooth. At first, the sauce will seem lumpy, but keep whisking and it’ll come together. The finished sauce should be creamy and pourable.
Pro Tip: A sauce whisk is the perfect tool for this job. If you don’t have one, use a fork instead of a full-size whisk.
Step 4: Massage the Kale
Pour some of the dressing over the greens and vigorously massage with your hands until the kale is soft and bright green.
Why? Massaging curly kale makes it easier to chew and digest, and less bitter, too.
Step 5: Finish the Salad
Drain the onions and add to the kale, along with the apples, walnuts, cranberries, and the remaining dressing.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan salad works well alongside hearty mains like cauliflower pot pie, spinach-mushroom lasagna, or this caramelized onion galette, and I love it with these vegetable patties. It would also be fabulous at Thanksgiving and other holiday meals.
Make-Ahead Tips
Like most salads, this one’s best served right away, so don’t dress it until you’re ready to eat. If you’d like to get a head start on prep, you can stem and chop the kale, and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can also make the dressing and keep it in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
FAQ’s
Kale is not like other salad greens – say, romaine or arugula. The leaves are thicker and more fibrous. Massaging kale (curly kale, in particular) before adding it to a salad softens the leaves, makes them juicy, and makes them easier to chew and digest.
Absolutely! This is one of my favorite dressings to meal prep. You can drizzle it on roasted veg (think carrots or butternut squash), tahini coleslaw, and falafel patties, to name a few options. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge and use within ~5 days.
More Hearty Salads to Try
- Tuscan Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash
- Vinegret (Ukrainian Beet Salad)
- Arugula Sweet Potato Salad
- Moroccan Carrot Salad with Raisins
Let me know if you try this recipe! Give it a rating below and leave a comment, and don’t forget to tag your creation with @thenewbaguette on Instagram.
The Full Recipe
Tahini Kale Salad
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This vegan kale tahini salad is packed with fall flavors and crunchy textures. An elegant side dish that’s sure to become a favorite.
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 1/4 of a medium red onion, thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 10 small curly kale leaves (about 1 small bunch)
- 1/2 cup roasted walnuts, finely chopped* (see note below)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries
- 1 granny smith apple, cored and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
For the Dressing
Instructions
- Place the sliced onion and 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Toss with your hands, then set aside while you prep the remaining ingredients, at least 15 minutes. Toss from time to time to ensure they’re marinating evenly.
- Tear off the kale stems and discard. Chop the leaves very finely and place in a large bowl.
- Make the dressing. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup tahini, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 large crushed garlic clove, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Whisk to combine into a lumpy paste. Then add 1/4 cup water and whisk to incorporate. Gradually whisk in more water until a creamy pourable consistency is achieved.
- Drizzle about a quarter of the dressing over the kale and massage vigorously with your hands until the kale is soft and bright green, 1 to 2 minutes.
- To the kale, add 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, and the cubed apple. Drain off the vinegar from the bowl with the onions and add the onions to the salad. Drizzle on most of the remaining dressing and toss to combine. The salad should be nicely coated but not soggy (you may have some dressing left over).
- Serve immediately.
Notes
- If your walnuts are raw: place them in a small baking dish and roast in a preheated 375º oven until lightly golden and fragrant, 7 to 9 minutes. Allow to cool, then chop.
- Tahini is available in most supermarkets, either in the international foods aisle or near the other nut butters. It can vary widely in taste and texture, so you may have to try a few brands to find one you like. In my experience, Middle Eastern brands are best (but the Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods 365 versions are great too). Look for tahini that’s light beige, runny, and not gritty.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of the recipe
- Calories: 222
- Sodium: 88 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Carbohydrates: 24.3 g
- Fiber: 4.3 g
- Protein: 6.3 g
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