Simple Kale Salad [Oil-Free Option, Kid-Approved]
When I make this salad, we rarely have leftovers! It’s hard to believe that a few years ago I was the only person in the house who really enjoyed salad, but now we’ve found many that we enjoy. This one is a simpler, side-dish variation of one of our favorite main dish salads: Superfood Kale Quinoa salad. I decided to try tahini in place of the oil and it was a winner–still totally delicious but now with nutrient packed healthy fat instead of nutrient-bare fat.
What are the Health Benefits of Kale?
I don’t need to tell you that kale is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and more. Did you know it has been shown to reduce LDL cholesterol (the bad kind) and even blood sugar? 1
Perhaps more importantly, kale has been shown to significantly increase the ability of white blood cells to produce antibodies. Kale is powerful whether you are fighting a cold or cancer, and cooking has been shown to increase it’s capacity even more! So if your family isn’t digging salad, even adding a small amount to a soup like this one can give everyone a boost. 2
How Do You Find Tahini that Tastes Good?
Tahini has been a challenge for me until recently. The sesame seed paste is a central ingredient in a variety of whole foods dressings and other recipes but every time I bought it I couldn’t understand what all the hype was about. The stuff tasted terrible! It was super bitter and totally disappointing.
Just recently I stumbled across a recommendation for this brand and it’s much better. Apparently sesame seeds from Ethiopia are superior and make the best tahini. Who knew! This still had a hint of bitterness, but the bitterness disappears in everything I’ve used it in and it has a nice rich flavor. It doesn’t even need to be stirred like most tahini. If you have a brand of tahini you like, let me know in the comments!
The nice thing about this recipe is that it only needs a minimum amount of fat, if you’re not on the tahini bandwagon yet (and I don’t blame you, it’s taken me 3 years) you can use a small drizzle of oil and be just fine.
Dr. Brooke Goldner, who is a fabulous resource for healing autoimmune and other conditions through hyper-nourishment, says olive oil is not harmful if eaten raw. So a little drizzle here won’t hurt anything, but this recipe does require a small amount of fat or it’s not nearly as good.
The thick, bitter texture of kale can be a turn off, but massaging it with lemon juice, fat and honey or maple syrup transforms it into a sweet and tangy bed of deliciousness. Last week I served it with chickpeas and roasted sweet potatoes for a simple, inexpensive, yet nutrient-packed dinner. Yum.
What Can I Use Kale Stems For?
Lately my favorite way to use the stems is to cut them into 1/2 inch pieces and toss them in the freezer. Then I add a few tablespoons of the stems in addition to the leafy greens when I make our smoothies in the morning. No one notices and it’s a great and inexpensive way to boost the nutrition!
Here I use my trusty tomato knife to cut the leaves from the stems. I have been cooking the stems in my Instant Pot and throwing them into spaghetti sauce, hummus, etc. But I am having a hard time keeping up and need to find more ways to eat them!
They will fill up a big bowl–here I used a big popcorn bowl I had picked up at Dollar Tree. Drizzle with lemon juice, tahini or oil, a sprinkle of salt and your sweetener, then massage!
I think I could have eaten half the bowl by myself! This makes an easy side salad. Feel free to add any additional fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds beans, but it’s also delicious as is!
I am not a gadget person, but this recipe got even easier after my sister got me one of these for my birthday!
The beauty of the heartiness of kale is that it can be made in advance and still taste delicious! It’s rare that we have leftovers, but when we do they are still delicious a day or two later!
| Prep Time | 10 minutes |
| Cook Time | 0 minutes |
| Passive Time | 0 minutes |
| Servings |
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- 2 bunches kale destemmed, washed, and shredded into bite-size pieces
- 2 lemons juiced
- 2 TBSP tahini or olive oil
- 2-3 TBSP honey or maple syrup plus more to taste
- sprinkle sea salt
Ingredients
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- Cut the kale leaves off of the tough stems off. Wash kale in a bowl of water. Remove, drain and cut into small pieces.
- Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with lemon juice, tahini/oil, sweetener and a sprinkle of sea salt. Massage kale with hands until bright green and softened. Taste and add additional salt, sweetener, etc. to taste.
- Optional: add your favorite salad fixings. This is delicious as-is, but also will taste great and can be made into a whole meal with fruit, cooked whole grains, legumes, nuts, vegetables, etc.