Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad (Vegan GF)

A light and flavoursome kale salad massaged with a creamy garlicky tahini dressing and packed with quinoa, chickpeas and dried fruits and nuts. Make this vegan, gluten-free and protein-packed salad as a side, as a main or for lunchboxes.

I love a kale salad, but I also appreciate that not everyone feels the same. And for good reason. A few years ago, kale became very popular. It was THE food to eat to be “healthy” and you saw so many raw kale salads online and one restaurant menus, but they lacked taste, oomph and joy. They were bland and un-interesting and so I wanted to put kale salads back on the map with this Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad.

I pretty much have kale everyday – most usually as kale crisps but this salad has also been on repeat. It’s a great one to make up as a big batch and save for lunchboxes throughout the week or to have as a side salad to some roasted squash or a pasta dish, for example. That said, it is definitely, hearty, nutritious and wholesome enough to stand on its own.

 What are the key things to a really good kale salad:

• Massage the kale: with some salt and lemon juice (or apple cider vinegar) to help break down the leaves. This makes the kale easier to digest, much tastier and more vibrant in colour.
• A tasty dressing: no-one wants a bland salad, so make sure your dressing is delicious and there’s enough of it to coat all the leaves.
• Some carbohydrates: this will make the salad more filling and sustain you for longer.
• Some protein: I love to add chickpeas or beans to my salads to make them more wholesome and nutritious.
• A bit of texture: I always add something crunchy on top of my salads and this Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad goes one step further as there’s dried fruits and nuts inside the salad and on top. 
• A healthy dose of fats: we have a couple of sources here from the tahini and the nuts, but you can also think about olive oil, avocado and seeds.

Now we know the basics to a really good and tasty salad, what goes into this Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad?

• The best tahini dressing: this is key to good salad and comes together in one bowl. Just mix together tahini, garlic, ginger, lemon, sugar and water. The flavours balance really well. It’s got fire and strength from the garlic and ginger but is creamy and sweeter from the tahini and sugar.
• Kale: obviously! You can use any type of kale – curly, dinosaur or cavolo nero are my favourites. You can also bulk out the kale with some spinach or rocket right before serving.
• Quinoa: or you can use another grain like buckwheat or even rice.
• Chickpeas: or another bean or pulse like edamame beans or cannellini beans are great in salads.
• Fresh herbs: these are always so good for adding freshness to salads! I love parsley, coriander and mint for this salad.
• Pomegranate: I love adding these to salads as they are little gems of sweetness and bursts of colour.
• Dried fruits and nuts: to add texture and taste to the salad. I used a mix of dried blueberries, gojis and almonds but use your favourites.

Once the kale is massaged just stir in everything for this Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad and you’re good to go. Portion it into lunchboxes for the week or enjoy as a fresh spring-like salad for lunch or dinner. It is naturally vegan, gluten-free and totally delicious! It will make you crave kale salads (I hope).

If you are looking for more fresh meal ideas, how about my:

• Vegan “Drunken” Noodles
• Herby Hummus and Kale Panzanella Salad
• Vegan Omelette Summer Rolls with Creamy Miso Tahini
• Almond Beetroot and Chickpea Quinoa Salad
• Beetroot Flatbreads with Crunchy Slaw and Chickpeas

Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad (Vegan GF)

• Servings: 2
• Time: 15 minutes
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

A light and flavoursome kale salad massaged with a creamy garlicky tahini dressing and packed with quinoa, chickpeas and dried fruits and nuts. Make this vegan, gluten-free and protein-packed salad as a side, as a main or for lunchboxes.

Ingredients

Salad:
• 60g quinoa
• 50g kale, de-stemmed and shredded
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 pinch of salt
• 1 tin chickpeas (240g drained weight)
• 2 sprigs fresh parsley or coriander, leaves only
• 2 sprigs fresh mint, leaves only
• 40g pomegranate, plus extra
• 70g dried fruits and nuts
Dressing:
• 60g runny tahini
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 1-cm piece ginger, peeled and grated
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tsp coconut sugar
• 3 tbsp water
• Salt and pepper

Directions

1. Cook the quinoa according to packet instructions and allow to cool. Drain and rinse the chickpeas.
2. Add the kale to a mixing bowl with the lemon juice and salt and massage with your hands for 1-2 minutes until soft and wilted. Leave to one side.
3. Make the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until smooth and pourable.
4. Roughly chop the herbs and add to the kale with the quinoa, chickpeas, pomegranate and the dried fruits and nuts. Pour in half of the dressing and toss well.
5. Divide between two bowls or plates, top with extra pomegranate and extra dried fruits and nuts and drizzle over the remaining dressing. Store in the fridge for 2-3 days.

I look forward to hearing what you think of this Garlicky Kale Tahini and Almond Salad so please let me know in the comments below. If you give this one a try, tag me in your salads, I love seeing them! I’m @nourishing.amy on Instagram and use the hashtag #nourishingamy. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest  – please say hello!

With garlicky kale love x