Fresh and easy kale salad with a simple tahini dressing!
What is tahini?
Originating from Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine, TAHINI is a paste made from ground sesame seeds. It has the consistency and texture very similar to peanut butter, and it is often mixed with other ingredients to make savory sauces or dressings.
The flavor of tahini can be best described as savory, nutty, and some might even say it’s a bit bitter. It’s also very commonly used in making hummus!
What goes in the tahini dressing?
I love the savory and nutty notes in tahini and wanted to make a salad dressing to help complement them! I kept the ingredients list pretty simple for this tahini dressing to make it easy, fast, but still flavorful.
The tahini dressing consists of:
-tahini (just sesame seeds!)
-apple cider vinegar
-water
-olive oil
-raw organic honey
-salt and pepper
What kind of apples to use in this kale salad?
For this recipe, I used Fuji apples! I love their sweetness and their crunchiness! The Fuji apples paired really nicely with the savory flavors of the tahini and the parmesan cheese.
Honey crisp apples will also work in this kale salad recipe! Like Fuji apples, they have an amazing crispness and sweetness!
Substitutions for the raw honey
If you don’t have raw honey at home, you can definitely substitute it with regular honey or agave! They’ll still work beautifully in the tahini dressing!
I opted to use raw honey in this salad dressing because I recently learned that raw honey has some pretty cool health benefits like being high in antioxidants!
Regular honey is undergoes various forms of processing and pasteurization that can cause it to lose its natural nutrients.
You can read more about raw honey versus regular honey in this very informative post by Healthline!
All About Raw Honey: How Is It Different Than Regular Honey?
Kale Apple Salad with Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
For the kale apple salad:
- 6½ cups chopped kale
- 1 cup sliced Fuji apples
- ½ cup freshly shredded/grated Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the tahini dressing:
- 2 tbsp tahini
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 tsp raw honey or regular honey
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Roughly chop the kale and place it in a large salad bowl. Thinly slice the apples and cut them into smaller pieces if desired. Add them to the salad bowl along with the pumpkin seeds and fresh parmesan cheese.
- Mix all of the tahini dressing ingredients in a bowl. The consistency should be completely smooth. Add the dressing to the salad and toss well. You can also top with additional pumpkin seeds when serving. Enjoy!
Looking for more salad inspiration?
Here are some more flavor-packed, easy salad recipes to help you get your veggies in!
Roasted Broccoli and Brussels Sprouts Salad with Honey Dijon Dressing
Quick and Easy Mediterranean-Inspired Salad
Tried this recipe? Let me know how you liked it in the comments below!
I’d love to hear your thoughts and feedback! 🙂
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