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Normally, I wouldn’t say that I crave kale salads… but I could eat this one every week. It’s tossed with a Caesar-inspired tahini dressing (so it’s dairy-free) that tastes a lot more decadent than it actually is.
A simple combination of lemon juice, fresh garlic, creamy tahini, and pantry spices creates an irresistible flavor in minutes. It comes together in one bowl for easy clean-up, too!
Even if you don’t think you love kale, I hope you’ll give this salad recipe a try. Top it with roasted chickpeas for some crunch and add your favorite protein to turn it into a complete meal. It’s easy to customize!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“LOVED this and my husband loved it too. I added the dressing to the salad maybe 3 hours before dinner and it was PERFECT once we sat down for it. Thanks so much!!” – Gina
Kale Caesar Salad Ingredients
- Tahini. Instead of using mayo, eggs, or anchovies, this Caesar-inspired dressing gets its creaminess from tahini. You can use raw tahini or a runny one, like Soom or Whole Foods 365 brand. (Just make sure you’re okay with the flavor before moving forward. It will be bitter, but shouldn’t be drastically so.)
- Lemon Juice. Freshly squeezed lemon juice will create the best flavor. The amount below is just a starting point; feel free to add more to taste!
- Garlic. Finely minced garlic is the key to Caesar salad dressing. (Don’t use the jarred stuff!) In a pinch, you can use garlic powder as a swap.
- Mustard. A small squeeze of spicy brown mustard adds umami, contributing to the overall Caesar flavor. (Don’t use yellow mustard, but Dijon should also work.)
- Kale. I’ve made this salad with both curly and lacinato (Dino) kale, and either way is delicious. Be sure to remove the tough center stems, as they aren’t pleasant to bite into. Note: When you buy bagged kale that’s pre-chopped, sometimes the stems are still attached, and the bites aren’t as pleasant… so just keep that in mind when shopping.)
How to Make Kale Salad with Tahini Caesar Dressing
Step 1:
In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, salt, and black pepper. Add 3 tablespoons of water and whisk well until the mixture looks creamy. It might look separated at first, or it could even seize in texture. Just keep stirring until it looks creamy!
Add one more tablespoon of water, if needed, to thin the consistency. (This will vary based on the tahini you start with; some are thicker than others.)
Note: If you don’t want to dress all your kale at once, you can store this dressing in an airtight container in the fridge until you’re ready to use it. I tend to mix it in the bowl because I like to cut down on the dishes I have to clean later!
Step 2:
Remove the tough stems from the kale leaves, then roughly chop the kale into bite-sized pieces. This quick step will make your salad more pleasant to bite into.
Transfer the kale to the bowl with the tahini dressing and use tongs to toss well, making sure the leaves are evenly coated. Let the kale marinate in the dressing for at least 15 minutes. This will soften the kale and make each bite more flavorful.
Tips for Serving Kale Salad
As soon as the kale salad has marinated in the dressing, it’s ready to serve. Top with crispy roasted chickpeas and baked chicken breasts for a complete meal, if you’d like.
Kale Salad (with Tahini Caesar Dressing)
Ingredients
- ¼ cup tahini
- 4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¼ cup water
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon spicy brown mustard
- ¼ teaspoon each salt and ground black pepper
- 1 pound fresh kale (about 6 cups)
Instructions
- In the bottom of a large bowl, combine the tahini, lemon juice, water, garlic, mustard, salt, and black pepper. Stir well until the mixture looks creamy. Note: Using a small whisk will help the tahini dissolve faster than stirring with a spatula. If the tahini thickens or seizes as you stir, just be patient. It will become creamy and smooth. (You can add an extra splash of water if needed.)
- To prepare the kale, remove the tough stems from each leaf, then tear it into small pieces. (Or use a knife to chop the kale.) Toss the leaves with the dressing and let them marinate until you're ready to serve. I recommend waiting at least 5 minutes, but you can keep this tightly covered for several hours, or even overnight, depending on how soft you prefer your kale. It doesn't get as soggy as other lettuces!
- This salad is ready to serve whenever you're ready to eat. Add any extra toppings you love, such as baked chicken or crispy roasted chickpeas.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Vegan Caesar Salad (cashew dressing)
- Kale Feta Salad
- Peach Salad with Kale and Avocado
- Easy Kale Salad Dressing
If you try this kale salad recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below to let me know how you like it.
Unbelievable how this tastes like Caesar dressing! The dressing was super thick so I added a fair amount of water to thin it enough to coat the kale. I also used a bag of store kale that was prewashed and cut, not lacinato but another variety and it worked well.
Made this for lunch and it was phenomenal. The dressing makes this taste so much better. I added a bit of nutritional yeast to it, but honestly I felt that it was fine leaving it out too. Delicious!
This is soooo good. Love the dressing!
LOVED this and my husband loved it too. I made two changes — I added a cup of cooked quinoa to the salad and I added vegan worchestershire (about 1tbsp) to the dressing. I added the dressing to the salad maybe 3 hours before dinner and it was PERFECT once we sat down for it. Thanks so much!!
Hi Megan–I keep making recipes from your site and thinking “How do those few ingredients add up to something so delicious??” This is another one! The dressing is absolutely delicious and the roasted garbanzos really hit the spot.
The one thing I would recommend is letting the kale marinate in the dressing overnight, it improves the texture of the kale and makes the salad next-level delicious.
Thanks for the amazing recipes!
I love this recipe! We like to mix it up and add more toppings like sweet potato, walnuts, and dried cranberries.
But every time I make it, the tahini dressing seizes up when I add the lemon juice… I’ve tried fresh and bottled lemon. It’s still delicious, but I want to figure out how to get smooth dressing! Not a paste lol
I think the trick is to keep adding water, just a tiny bit at a time, to the dressing until it smooths out again. And use a whisk to stir it if you can, because that speeds things along.