Kale Salad with avocado and tahini dressing makes a terrific lunch or side dinner salad. Sturdy greens like curly kale need a creamy dressing that clings to the leaves and this creamy tahini dressing works beautifully. Add avocado, hemp seeds and garbanzo beans and you have an incredible plant-based, high protein salad to fuel your day.
I've been eating this salad for weeks and thought it was time to share the recipe with you. I can't seem to get enough of it. It's hearty, filling, huge on healthy ingredients, and high in plant-based protein from the kale, garbanzo beans (also called chickpeas), and shelled hemp seeds.
Raw curly kale is a hearty, not a fluffy salad green. It's actually a cruciferous vegetable, like cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts. It's also one of the healthiest greens you can eat. In just a single cup, kale provides a whopping amount of vitamins and minerals including vitamin A, C, K, B6, and manganese. You even get some fiber and protein for good measure and it's low carb. That's a power green.
The Rest of the Salad and Dressing
To dress this kale salad, shake the dressing ingredients in a jar or blend briefly in a blender. Avocado adds healthy fat, garbanzo beans add protein and fiber, and shelled hemp seeds add protein, more healthy fat, and a nutty flavor.
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Prep Ahead Tips
Wash kale on Sunday afternoon with Eat Cleaner, the natural produce wash I've used for years. It safely cleans your produce and extends its refrigerator life. Then tear up the leaves and store them in an airtight container ready for salad. The tahini dressing can be made the same afternoon and lasts 5 days in the refrigerator.
For a warm kale salad recipe, try this.
📖 Recipe
Curly Kale Salad with Avocado and Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Tahini Dressing
- 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tahini
- 1 large garlic clove very finely chopped
- 2 teaspoons low-sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons ketchup
- 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons Balsamic vinegar
Kale Salad
- 1-2 bundles curly kale leaves washed and torn into small pieces
- 1 15 ounce can garbanzo beans rinsed and drained
- 1 ripe avocado seeded and diced
- ¼ cup raw shelled hemp seeds
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Instructions
- Start by making dressing. Combine all ingredients into a jar and shake well until smooth and creamy, or place in a blender and blend on low speed. Makes extra.
- For salad, wash kale leaves, then strip or slice out center tough rib. Tear leaves into bite-sized pieces. Dry in a salad spinner or in layers of clean kitchen towels. This can be done ahead to save time. Toss salad with a few tablespoons of dressing then add beans, avocado, and sprinkles of hemp seeds to serve.
Kay says
Sally, This looks delicious. I'd like to make it Daniel Plan (detox) friendly. Do you have a suggestion for a ketchup replacement in the dressing?
Thanks!
Sally Cameron says
Hi Kay, thanks for asking. Great question. You can use ketchup on the DP, just be sure to buy organic, no HFCS, low sugar. Read labels. Otherwise, you can use a little organic tomato paste instead. Maybe mix it with a little water to get to the consistency of ketchup. I actually used that in my original recipe but switched to ketchup figuring it was easier for people. Or use all tomato paste and thin the dressing with a little water if it is too thick. Please let me know if you have more questions.