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This Simple Kale Tahini Salad makes the perfect dinner base or side dish for a quick and healthy weekday meal. Pair it with some protein or eat it on the side for a healthy dose of greens.

Kale salad with peptias and cranberries in a blue bowl

Why Make This Salad:

It’s not a hard sell on why you’ll want to make this kale salad. Not only is it healthy, but it actually tastes delicious!

It’s Healthy – I mean it’s a kale salad amIright?! Kale provides plenty of fiber and folate and the creamy tahini dressing contains sesame seeds which are loaded with iron!
It’s Fast – Other than massaging the kale which requires a bit of elbow grease, this kale tahini salad comes together quickly.
It Keeps – unlike most salads, this kale salad will actually keep in the fridge. Kale is a hearty green that holds up and won’t wilt like most salads.
It Tastes Great – Kale paired with this creamy lemon tahini has delicious flavor with a little crunch from pepitas and sweetness from cherries.

Ingredients Needed:

Kale – you can use regular curly kale or tuscan kale (also known as lacinato kale). Either will work.
Lemon – Not only does it add flavor but it also contains vitamin C which can help boost iron absorption from kale leaves (source). Lemon is also used in the dressing.
Olive oil – I like using extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil + lemon juice are used to massage kale to make it easier to digest.
Sea salt – feel free to adjust to sodium preferences.
Dried cherries – I love the taste of dried cherries but feel free to swap them in place for other dried fruit like cranberries or raisins.
Pumpkin seeds – sometimes called pepitas.
Tahini – effectively ground up sesame seed paste. It gives this kale salad a creamy taste but it’s still dairy-free!
Garlic – ideally use freshly minced garlic.
Maple Syrup – adds some sweetness to the dressing. You could also use honey if you aren’t vegan.

Graphic showing raw kale on left side and massaging kale in bowl on the right side.

How to Make Kale Tahini Salad:

Just a few simple steps are required to make this kale tahini salad!

Assemble salad – Prep kale and add to a large mixing bowl with lemon juice, olive oil and sea salt. Massage liquid until kale until it has completely wilted. This will take around 3-5 mins. Top salad with dried cherries and pumpkin seeds.
Make dressing – In a small bowl whisk together all ingredients for tahini dressing. Toss salad with tahini dressing and serve.

Easy Swaps + Substitutions:

Add protein – You could always turn this kale salad into a complete meal by adding a protein. Rotisserie chicken, grilled steak or even crispy chickpeas are all great additions.

Add in veggies – I consider this kale tahini salad a base so feel free to add in any other veggies you prefer e.g. cucumbers, bell peppers or even roasted butternut squash!

Use fresh fruit – you can always substitute the dried cherries with fresh fruit. Pomegranate seeds, chopped apples, pears etc…

Add cheese – this salad is technically vegan but if you wanted to add some cheese, I highly recommend it! Parmesan cheese or even feta are great additions.

close up of kale tahini salad in a blue bowl

Storage Instructions

I personally prefer eating this kale tahini salad fresh, but what’s great about kale is that its texture holds up quite well even after storing.

I find it will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days in an airtight container. For best results avoid dressing before storing leftovers but if you’ve already pre-dressed it, it will usually keep for 1-2 days.

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