Have you ever ordered a kale salad on a first date and tried to gracefully consume a meal of giant, wayward kale leaves? Awkward. Regretful. Ugh. I’m on a mission to change that. I won’t quit creating new kale salad recipes until we can all walk into a restaurant and consistently receive a great kale salad. Based on some recent experiences, I declare that my work here is far from done.
Here’s how to make a kale salad that’s better than those sad restaurant salads. First, remove those tough ribs from the kale, chop it into bite-sized pieces, and massage it to minimize the poky factor and improve the flavor. (Yes, massage it. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it’s worth it! See instructions below.) Drizzle in a bold salad dressing and toss until it’s completely coated (I always use more dressing on kale salads than other green salads). Add some fun flavors and textures and you will have yourself a great kale salad.
I say all of this to defend kale salads against mentions that they’re “too trendy” or overdone. But kale salads, when made properly, can make truly delicious, crave-able meals. Those kinds of meals don’t go out of style. Right? Let’s make kale salad a classic like pizza and mac and cheese. We’ll all be better off for it.
This salad is the mac and cheese of kale salads, if you will. It’s creamy thanks to a bold tahini dressing, which makes this salad seem way more indulgent that it actually is. I packed in more flavor and texture with freshly toasted sunflower seeds and briny olives and pepper rings that I cannot resist. Chickpeas offer some protein and up the hearty factor. I’ve been craving heavy, cheesy comfort foods lately, but I legitimately can’t wait to get home and polish off this kale salad. I hope you feel the same!
Greek Kale Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing
- Author:
- Prep Time: 20 mins
- Cook Time: 5 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 side servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Cuisine: Greek
This healthy Greek kale salad recipe is full of bold Mediterranean flavors. It packs great for lunch, too. Recipe yields 2 large meal-sized servings, or 4 medium side salads.
Ingredients
Kale salad
- 1 medium bunch of curly green kale (about 8 ounces)
- Fine sea salt
- 1 can (15 ounces) chickpeas, rinsed and drained, or 1 ½ cups cooked chickpeas
- ½ cup thinly sliced Kalamata olives and/or roughly chopped pepper rings
- ⅓ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed and drained
- ⅓ cup finely grated Parmesan (optional)
- ⅓ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
Creamy tahini dressing
- 1⁄4 cup tahini
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice (from 1 to 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
- ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 tablespoons water
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- To prepare the salad: Place the chopped kale in a large serving bowl. Sprinkle it lightly with salt and massage it with your hands by scrunching up large handfuls at a time until it’s darker and more fragrant (this makes the kale more tasty and easier to eat). Add the chickpeas, olives and/or pepper rings, sun-dried tomatoes, and Parmesan (if using). Set aside.
- To toast the sunflower seeds, combine the seeds with the olive oil and a few dashes of salt in a small skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until the seeds are fragrant and turning lightly golden at the edges, about 5 minutes. Pour the toasted seeds into the salad bowl.
- To prepare the salad dressing: In a small liquid measuring cup or bowl, combine the tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, mustard, and salt. Whisk until blended. Add the water and whisk until blended. Season generously with freshly black pepper, to taste.
- Pour the dressing into the salad (you might not need quite all of it, but I did). Toss until the salad is evenly coated with dressing. Serve immediately. This salad keeps well in the refrigerator, covered, for up to 3 days.
Notes
Make it dairy free/vegan: Omit the Parmesan. You might like a light sprinkle of nutritional yeast to make up for it.
If you love this recipe: Check out more kale salads here.
▸ Nutrition Information
Vegetable enthusiast. Dog lover. I'm probably making a big mess in my Kansas City kitchen right now. 
Sara @ Last Night's Feast
Wow this looks yummy!
Kate
Mmhm! Let me know if you make it, Sara!
Rhian @ Rhian's Recipes
Looks and sounds incredible! I totally get what you mean about raw kale salads – this one looks delicious though!
Kate
Haha! I knew I was telling a universal truth with that one. Let me know if you make it, Rhian!
Jerilyn
This looks delicious! Do you have any recommendations for which brand of tahini to use, as there are so many choices, thanks.
Kate
Hi Jerilyn, that’s a great point—my favorite by far is Whole Foods 365. I stock up when I’m at the store.
Sara
Do you use vegetarian parmesan or vegan parmesan? I know Whole Foods has a vegetarian version of parmesan cheese that is decent, but there’s also a vegan version that really isn’t too bad now!!
Kate
I haven’t heard about vegan Parmesan! I am generally wary of vegan cheese because they can be full of processed ingredients, but I’ve heard that Myoko Creamery came out with a good vegan mozzarella without those crazy ingredients. I have been meaning to find some. Anyway, I buy Whole Foods’ Parm or Bel Gioso’s vegetarian version.
Donna
That looks so good. I’m on a cleanse right now, but I’ve already made a note of this & printed the recipe. Thank you.
Kate
Let me know how it goes when you make it, Donna!
PD
Try using a rolling pin rather than massaging, roll until the light green turns dark green
Kate
Interesting! I’ll definitely compare the two techniques.
Jennifer
This looks terrific. What’s a ‘pepper ring’?
Love your recipes!
★★★★★
Kate
Oh! Let me clarify: I mean hot or mild pepper rings, like banana peppers, that come pickled in jars already sliced into “rings.” They pair really well with Kalamata olives. You should be able to find them near the olives at the store, or ask someone at the deli where you can find them.
Sherry
Love this! I make my own Tahini. I buy sesame seeds in bulk and whirl them together with grape seed oil. Bottled tahini can be costly and is sometimes not available at grocery stores. Plus it has a limited shelf life when you open a jar and keep it refrigerated.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for the tip, Sherry!
Theresa
I subscribe to several food blogs, but your blog is, by far, my favorite. I have made quite a few of your recipes and every single one was exceptional and saved to my New York Times Cooking (“My
Recipe”) site. Thanks for letting me be part of your (and Cookie’s) adventure. Looking forward to that cookbook!
Kate
Thank you so much, Theresa! Delighted to hear that you appreciate my recipes. Have a great day!
Susan
This salad sounds quite interesting – definitely not your average kale salad. I’m interested in trying it, but I have to balance that with my husband’s thinking that eating kale is strange.
Kate
I think the massaging process might help with your husband’s misgivings – it makes the leaves less stiff and more palatable, and softens some of the bitterness in the leaves. Let me know if you end up making it!
Aimee
I love the concept of Tahini Dressing and haven’t met a Greek salad I didn’t like. I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Kate
Let me know how it goes :)
Marcellina
I never thought about massaging kale! But, I get it! This salad and particularly the dressing looks amazing!
Kate
I know, it seems a bit weird at first, but it helps to make the leaves a bit more malleable and less bitter so you don’t have to fight them getting into your mouth (never a good look). Let me know how it works out for you!
nb
off subject but kind of funny to see Hilltop ad here which is advertising steak dinner! :)
Kate
Ugh, I wish I could ban that from ever happening, but ads are served up to each user differently so it’s like playing whack-a-mole.
Laura
What a coincidence! I’ve been making almost this exact recipe for the past 2 years. It’s such a great blend of flavors.
Kate
Yes, I’m really loving this for lunch this week!
Kate
Yes, super good :)
Allyson (Considering The Radish)
Anyone who says kale salads are overdone has clearly not had enough delicious kale salads in their life. Thank you for your hard work at convincing the world. (And I appreciated your great kale salad tips.)
Kate
You’re welcome, Allyson!
Ami@NaiveCookCooks
I am so with you Kate! More than often I ended up ordering kale salad with giant leaves which was a nightmare to eat without reaching for my napkin every single time hehe! I too love it when kale is chopped and I like it chopped fine. I love the Greek salad twist you have given, will try for sure :)
Kate
See, you get it! Massaging is key to a less-messy salad. :)
annie
Kale salads are trendy for a reason….they rock! And I’m so into this tahini dressing. I can’t stand a pokey kale either, though. I usually nuke mine for about 2-3 minutes to wilt. Perfect every time.
Kate
Right? It shouldn’t be a leaf fight. No need :)
Evelyn
Thanks for this great idea!
Lillian Betancourt
Hey Kate,
This salad is super delicious! Thank you again for another great recipe! I could hardly wait until May to receive your cookbook! A belly rub for Cookie!
★★★★★
Kate
I can’t wait for you to see it, Lillian! And Cookie is in belly-rub heaven :)
Kelley
After a week of all-the-bread-and-cheese meals, I was excited to have something green. This salad is fantastic! Your recipes are always so flavorful and this one does not disappoint. I added both olives and pepper rings, and the dressing is divine. I did try the rolling pin technique that another reader suggested to really get the kale wilty, and I agree that working with it makes the texture and taste better. Thanks for another awesome recipe!
Kate
Great! So glad that technique worked out.
Emilie
This salad is too good not to comment! I’ve been practically living off your Greek salad with broccoli/sundried tomatoes, but this may be my new obsession. :)
★★★★★
Kate
Too sweet, Emilie!
Abby
I’m trying to get the world (aka my friends) to love kale salads as much as i do. I have a few go-tos, and this just became my favorite. Or maybe tied for first, but still. I used feta instead of parmesan because I already had it but other than that I followed the recipe pretty closely. IT’S PERFECT. The creamy tahini mixed with the salty greek flavors is just insane. So so so so happy to have this in my collection.
★★★★★
Kate
Yes! And good luck with converting your friends into kale-lovers, it shouldn’t take much :) Happy you enjoyed.
Giselle
I usually pass over kale salad recipes because they don’t usually sound good and I’m not a salad-as-a-meal type of girl. This one sounded kind of good and since my 2-year-old daughter loves salads I decided to give it a go. It was so good! I was shocked. I could actually eat it as a meal and not feel gypped. Too bad my daughter and husband didn’t care for it. :/ But what do they know?; they both eat like 2-year-olds. Your salad is delicious! Thanks Kate! BTW, any tips on buying/stirring tahini? It gets everywhere and I bend spoons trying to stir it. This can was extra troublesome since the can opener didn’t open it all the way and I had to pry the lid off, almost slicing my hand and splashing tahini everywhere.
Kate
Giselle, so glad you loved this one! I’m sorry the other two didn’t enjoy it (your comment made me chuckle). Whole Foods 365 brand is by far my favorite, but it still settles like the others. I’ve never used a canned variety. You might try storing the tahini jar on its side (on a plate to catch any oil seeping out); I think it is easier to reincorporate that way.
Nancy Asin
I’ve used a number of traditional Middle-Eastern tahini brands, and I think the Soom brand from Ethiopia is by far the best. Very smooth and easy to work with texture, and just needs a quick gentle mixing before using. No hard lumps in the bottom of the container. Recommended by cookbook author and restauranteur Michael Solomonov. I always store tahini in the fridge and it lasts a long time.
Kate
Thank you for sharing, Nancy!
Rachel
Giselle, I know I’m replying to an older post but wanted to share my tip anyway. Whenever I buy a new jar of nut/seed butter I open it up, stick a clean butter knife in it and stir it up to incorporate the oil back into the seeds/nuts- it needs the oil otherwise you’ll end up with a huge clump of hard, ground-up seeds/nuts at the bottom of the jar that will be super dry and hard to dislodge! Stir gently at first then more forcefully once the oil gets mixed in. Store the new jar in the fridge to keep it from separating again :)
Lee
Kate, this salad is AMAZING! I couldn’t stop gobbling it up. I’m so happy I discovered your blog and, even better, that you’re from Kansas City! Keep the amazing recipes coming!
Kate
Hey, Lee! So happy to have you here.
Alexa @ Sweet Little Kitchen
Made this last night and it was delicious! My husband was disappointed when he heard we were having a kale salad for dinner, but the tahini dressing and parm won him over :)
★★★★★
Kate
I hope I converted him for at least one meal :) Thanks, Alexa!
Julie
I love this salad and have made it a few times for friends and family. It’s always a hit. I skipped the whole step of toasting the sunflower seeds in olive oil. To me, it wasn’t worth dirtying another pan. I’ve toasted the seeds in my toaster oven and I have also thrown them into the salad raw. Both worked ok for me! Whatever you decide to do, this is a really great recipe.
Kate
Awesome! Happy this fit with your cooking routines!
Sheri Glass
This salad was delicious and the dressing feels like a Caesar dressing! Would love if you provided nutrition info for your recipes, tho.
★★★★★
Kate
Hey, Sheri. Unfortunately, I don’t have nutritional info available for my recipes just yet. I’m looking for a solution, and will update about it once I find one. Thanks!
Danyel
Made this salad for lunches this week. Super easy to make and soooo delicious!! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!
Kate
Yes! It keeps so well throughout the week, too. Let me know which others you try!
Jessica
I absolutely LOVED this recipe, particularly the salad dressing. It marries beautifully with the kale. I want to eat it on everything. A friend recommended your blog and I am smitten. It really inspires healthy eating and for someone that enjoys cooking, its very attainable.
★★★★★
Kate
Jessica, thank you! I’m so glad you enjoyed the salad and found my blog. Please thank your friend for me. :)
Diane
Loved this salad, absolutely delicious!!!!!
Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome! I dream of this tahini dressing at least once a week :)
Olga
This looks good! I’ve just started exploring kale recipes, and I love it. As long as you chop it and massage it, it definitely doesn’t lack flavor, and I like that it’s tough enough to hold up under oil and vinegar instead of wilting.
Kate
Yes! Kale gets such a bad rap, but if you know how to handle it, it is delicious and SUPER nutritious. Nothing else compares to those dark greens.
Stephanie
This is my kind of salad! Can’t wait to try it.
Jen
I made this salad last night and it was so good!! The tahini dressing is delicious!!
Ellen
This is a great salad and every bit as appetizing and pretty as the photo. Love it! and the dressing is great. Always have a jar of tahini on hand, and now a new dressing recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
This is great to hear, Ellen! I love the dressing, too.
Sara
Hello! Quick question – is the 1 TBL of Olive Oil in the dressing? It’s in the ingredient list but doesn’t seem to be in the instructions. Thanks!
Kate
Oops! Yes, that’s correct. Thank you for pointing out that issue. I just fixed it.
Lauren
I made this salad a few weeks ago for dinner and really enjoyed it. The flavors are different from any other salad I’ve had and it felt really hearty–great for an entree salad.
Last week I started daydreaming about these flavors again, but thought I might give it a go with roasted broccoli instead of kale. I ended up throwing a huge handful of fresh spinach in with everything too for a little more “filler”. It looked absolutely beautiful all mixed together, but it didn’t stop me from enjoying my half of it straight out of the big bowl I used to stir it all up. :) Both of these combinations are delicious–I’m excited to have another variation of this salad up my sleeves.
Thank you Kate! I can’t get enough of your blog and tell friends, family, and coworkers about it all the time!
★★★★★
Kate
That variation sounds great, Lauren. I’m so glad you enjoy it! And thank you for spreading the word about C&K!
Ava Marie
Awesome salad! It’s going to be my new side dish to bring for family gatherings and events. Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
I hope they love it, Ava!
Sarah
At the risk of being dramatic, this is the salad to end all salads! I finally made this after having the recipe saved for weeks, and I am sold. Not only is it delicious fresh, it keeps so beautifully with dressing on! This was my first kale salad ever – the only thing I did differently was omit the peppers and substitute pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds. It would probably be good with a mild feta too. Thank you!!!
★★★★★
Kate
A little hyperbole never hurt anyone. ;) I’m so glad you love it so much, Sarah!
Raquel DeCamp
Substantial salad with a powerful flavor punch. This salad, plus a slice of crusty French bread and good olive oil for dipping, made for an incredible meal! Bonus: it held up well overnight in fridge and made for a great dish th next day, too.
★★★★★
Nancy
Hadn’t tried this recipe because of the curly kale but I got two huge bunches in our new CSA this week. I should have known that you could figure out how to tame the curly in kale. Massaged the heck out of it and this salad is soooooo good especially when chilled awhile. Kate I don’t know how you come up with such yummy combinations. This is so boldly flavored and delicious. Craving it again already.
★★★★★
Kate
So glad you enjoyed it, Nancy!
Trisha C.
Holy cow! I just fixed this and it’s fantastic!!!
Kate
Hooray!
Caterina
Hi Kate,
Long time follower, first time commenter. I just had to write and tell you how delicious this salad is. I made this for work lunches this week and it has to be one of the best salads I have ever tasted. Every recipe I have tried from your collection has been outstanding :)
Kate
I love hearing this, Caterina! Thank you so much for reading. I have the best followers on here.
Metalmom
Just had this very satisfying salad for dinner — Kate, your recipes are satisfying because of the brilliant combinations of flavors, not just the bulk that fills the tummy.
I didn’t have enough pepper rings so I added the olives as well. And I am now a huge fan of sun-dried toms — I found a brand that doesn’t use oil.
Carly
This is hands down the best kale salad I’ve ever eaten!!! I subbed capers for the olives and it is still exceptional. Will absolutely make again! Thank you for the awesome recipe!
Kate
Awesome! I’m so glad you love it, Carly.
Tonya DAHL
I didn’t actually look at the whole recipe and I think I will try it, since I came back to make the dressing again. I made the dressing and tossed it in my romaine Greek salad with tomatoes and feta. My husband LOVED the dressing. I have to admit, I added a tablespoon more olive oil and tablespoon of ground mustard cause I didn’t have dijon and I love extra oil. I doubled the recipe and blended in my vitamix. It also refrigerates well.
★★★★★
Paul W
With our garden putting out tsunami of kale now, I’m always looking for new ways to use it. This was great! I threw in some blanched green beans just cuz, and they went well with it.
★★★★★
Karen
My new favorite salad!!!
I made this to take to a dinner. I knew it was a gamble because, well, it’s kale salad. BUT. I followed your instructions on massaging the kale, and it turned out amazing. I even made my own tahini for the dressing!! I got so many compliments and my stepmom is now checking out your recipes. Even my 6 year old nephew had seconds!
★★★★★
Kate
Fantastic! Yes, massaging the kale is key. Thanks for your review. :)
Kathryn
I love this salad! I’ve made it several times and I usually end up eating the whole bowl myself — can’t stop and don’t want anything else! But I only feel a little guilty because it is kale!
And, as with all of your recipes I’ve tried, it can accommodate quite a bit of substitution, addition, and subtraction depending on what I have in the cupboards and still turn out great (like roasted sweet potatoes for chickpeas, which is my new favorite version!). Thanks again!
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for your review, Kathryn! I love recipes that can use what we have around. Those additions sound delicious.
ZiggyM
I this recipe a few months ago and I must say that it is awesome. It is so tasty, that I make it about 3 times a month. To change it up sometimes, I’ll use the dressing recipe for kale wraps. I massage the kale with the dressing and pair it with roasted red peppers and a garlicky turmeric rice. Yum!
Thanks for sharing your delicious recipes as this blog is a go to when looking for something good to prepare.
Kate
3 times a month?! That’s great.If you would want to leave a review since you liked it so much, that would be great. I really appreciate it!
Kami
So delicious! My 12 year old son used to love kale salad but hasn’t enjoyed it lately. He loves this one! It is definitely a crowd pleaser. Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I’m glad he liked it enough for this salad! Maybe just what he needed to like Kale again. :) Thanks for sharing, Kami!
martha
Perfect for the midsummer foodbox ‘what am I going to do with this kale’ blues.
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Martha!
June E Siegel-Hill
I just made this salad, and it’s fantastic. I love the flavors. Curious about the purpose of the salt on the kale. Does that help it to wilt a little?
★★★★★
Kate
The salt, plus massaging it between your fingers, helps to break it down and bring out more flavor. Hope this helps!
maxine
I am not sure what I did wrong with this, but the salad wasn’t one I’d make again.The dressing turned out extremely thick, a very heavy tahini taste, seemed unbalanced. the greens smelled delicious, but for the effort and the expense, I was a bit disappointed.
glad it worked for the others.
Kate
I’m sorry to hear that! It could be the tahini you used. I know some tahini can vary. You can always make it a little less thick by adding a little more water. Thanks for sharing, Maxine!
Megan Burt
Great salad!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Megan!
Colleen
Super delicious! I thought I didn’t like kale- until I tried your salad. What a difference massaging it makes and the toasted sunflower seeds kind of pushed this salad over the top- we were almost fighting for the last bites! Thanks Kate for showing me how to properly prepare kale!
★★★★★
Kate
Massaging is key! You’re so welcome. I’m glad you love it.
Kristin
I made this last night for a dinner with friends. I am soooo glad there was some leftover, and I had it for breakfast today. Amazing flavors! Thanks so much.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Kristin!
Tiago
I love your tahini sauce recipe it’s so good yet so easy to make! I started adding parsley to the sauce and it works really well.
I make a different version of this salad with Kale-Cherry Tomatoes- Hemp Seeds and Avocado with your tahini sauce. It’s a great salad for weight-loss. Thank you for sharing.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! Thanks for the review, Tiago.
Michele Maxwell
This is slammin’! I LOVE your blog!
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you, Michele!
Cristine
Really good!!! We love it!
★★★★★
Kate
Wonderful, Cristine! Thanks for the review.
Enja
I absolutely love this! I had eaten a kale salad in a local cafe a few times but all I knew about the recipe was that it included mustard. By accident I came across this recipe and thought I´d give it a try. This was about a month ago and today is the 6th time we are eating it, my boyfriend and I absolutely love it. Also made it for a friend who is a picky eater and even she loved it :) A few times I had to swap the tomatoes for peppers, or the chickpeas for adzuki beans but it was a hit every time, once even with some quinoa added.
★★★★★
Kate
I love to hear that you love this one so much! Thanks for the review, Enja. I thin peppers would work nicely!
Valerie
Hi Kate, I have made this recipe for large family gatherings and occasionally at home for my husband and kids. It’s so delicious! Thank you!
Kate
You’re welcome, Valerie!
Christina
I made this and loved it! I didn’t add the pepper rings, but did add regular black olives. And I also toasted the raw sunflower seeds in the oven (plain) instead of in a pan with oil. I made a “test” version this weekend and will definitely be making it again next weekend for my daughter’s extended family birthday party!
Lastly, someone asked about vegan parmesan cheese, and as a vegan, I always make my own with cashews, nutritional yeast, salt and garlic powder :)
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Christina! Thanks for sharing your take and review.
Recipe4Appetite
I love your recipes
★★★★★
Kate
Thank you!
Stephanie
I forgot about this recipe until it got so hot here that heating up the kitchen to cook kale wasn’t an option. It’s excellent exactly as written but depending on the type of tahini you use for the dressing (I had a jar of Trader Joe’s on hand), it’s necessary to add an extra clove of garlic and more water to get the right consistency. It really is an addicting salad!
★★★★★
Kate
I agree! Thank you for sharing, Stephanie.
Kathryn Tulman
I just made and am eating this great salad. I added red bell pepper and halfed cherry tomatoes. I also added a scoop of cold lentil-couscous salad and mixed well. I thinned the dressing a bit more with additional lemon juice and water (my tahini was a bit thick). Finishing salt was sprinkled on top rather than into the salad. This is WONDERFUL! Very adaptable.
★★★★★
Kate
That sounds great! Thanks you for sharing your variation, Kathryn.
Jacki
I made this recipe with lovely fresh kale from my garden for my golf club lunch and it was a huge hit. I live on a farm an hour away from shops so I made my own tahini for the first time as well. Many of the ladies have asked for the recipe so I’ve pointed them in your direction
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing the C+K love! I’m glad this was a hit, Jacki.
Jenny
I’m excited to give this salad a try and convert some skeptics to fans of kale salad done right! One question, do canned chickpeas need to be toasted in the over to add more flavor? Would rather not add this step and it doesn’t look like you did this. I’ve found canned chickpeas to be rather tasteless so wasn’t sure. This salad is to be served at a party alongside several other dishes so I could leave the chickpeas out all together if they don’t add much flavor addition. Thanks for the help.
Erika
really good dressing! i added a touch honey for some sweetness and put it on some baby kale with some pita chips and sliced almonds.
★★★★
Nathalie
Delicious and filling! I left the parmesan out.
★★★★★
Kate
Thanks for sharing, Nathalie!
Amitha Dhingra
This looks great — any idea how many calories per serving?
Kate
Hi Amitha! Nutritional information is below the notes section of the recipe. I hope this helps!
Angie
I feel like you made this salad just for me. Lol!! I am a kale salad enthusiast and sundried tomato addict. This is an amazingly flavorful salad with the most delicious dressing. Thank you so much for this recipe.
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Angie!
Christina Sicoli
The salad dressing is really delicious. I made the salad exactly as recipe says and it was marvelous. I also substituted artichokes for pepper rings and pumpkin seeds for sunflowers (because I didn’t have them) and the dressing was a perfect match. I love your kale salads! ❤️
★★★★★
Anna
This is quite possibly my new favorite salad! I’ve been adoring kale lately and I could just eat this all day!
★★★★★
Kate
Great to hear, Anna! Thank you for your review.
Kristen
Delicious! I love tahini, so I couldn’t stop eating this salad!
Jordan
This was so so good! I didn’t need all the dressing but am using the leftover as a dip for raw veggies. I’ve literally never craved a vegetable salad before this one. I also appreciated that all the ingredients were very easy to find. Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
johanna
Thank you for a lovely kale salad… the best kale salad ive eaten so far. God bless you!
★★★★
Dana Lewis Guy
Hi there! I haven’t had kale in a long time and on a whim I got some at Kroger today. I couldn’t remember how to make the tahini dressing so I stumbled upon this one. I had just toasted walnuts and pecans for my husbands salad so I used that and omitted the olives and peppers but it was still divine! I used nutritional yeast in the dressing and also put parm on the greens. I must do this again, with the tomatoes! I wouldn’t have thought of that!! YUM! Look forward to seeing more recipes of yours. And I dont like to dirty pans either, I toast my nuts on a slice of tinfoil in the toaster oven…
Kate
I’m glad you loved this one, Dana!
Margie
I made this salad tonight and both my husband and I loved it. So much so that we kept eating instead of taking a photo straight away! We are vegan so I used vegan feta instead of Parmesan. I also used pistachios instead of sunflower seeds. So yum thank you!
★★★★★
Brittany
I have a lot of old favorites and tried-and-true recipes from this blog and the Love Real Food cookbook, but lately I’ve been trying to branch out, and I’m so glad I did for this salad! It has a lot of fun, bright flavors, but the tahini dressing and sunflower seeds provide some grounding savory notes. If you’re looking for a filling and fresh salad to add to your dinner rotation, this one checked all the boxes for me!
★★★★★
Mary
I keep coming back for just that dressing! I’ve been using it on everything! Thank you. Making another batch tonight with smoke paprika in it.
★★★★★
Lindsay
Outstanding entree salad on a hot summer day! Because I didn’t have any sunflower seeds, I used roasted, salted pumpkin seeds from Trader Joe’s….easy and good. Also tried out another reader’s suggestion and used a rolling pin to help start the softening process on the kale….after removing the stems. Love all you recipes and gave your cookbook to my gluten free daughter-in-law, who loves it!
★★★★★
Lindsay Parks
Best kale salad I’ve ever eaten, and I’ve eaten many! The leftovers were even great 2 days later. Only substitution: I used Trader Joe’s salted, roasted pumpkin seeds (because I had them)….they were ideal and I could skip roasting the seeds. This will get taken to my next potluck!
★★★★★
SJ
Really delicious.
So good I made it again very soon after the first time. First time I didn’t have sundried tomatoes or olives so I used grilled cherry tomatoes and grilled red peppers. Latter is a milder taste that I really liked.
Didn’t use parmesan either time.
You did succeed at making kale moreish!!
★★★★★
Susan Hopkins
Just made this today and it is delicious! I messed up and added 1 Tablespoon of Dijon mustard instead of 1/2 teaspoon !!!! Oh well I fished out as much Of the excess mustard as I could and even with that ummm mustardy mess up on my part it was still terrific!!!! Next time I’ll pay closer attention to measurements. Lol
★★★★★
Sara-Jane
This is one of my very favorite, go-to recipes. Your tahini dressings are out-of-this-world delicious and pair so unbelievably well with the kale in particular (although your greek wedge salad is another household favorite). I have used both curly kale and the dinosaur (lacianto) kale variety in this recipe and I personally favor the latter because it seems to respond even more to the massage technique and becomes so nice and soft.
Thank you so much for this recipe, I absolutely love it!!!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, glad you love it, Sara. I appreciate you trying another recipe and review.
Tilda
Excellent, in regular rotation using full 10-oz bag (one of few leftover salads that stores well), variations easy, like nutritional yeast when no parm on hand. Thank you, Kate!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Tilda! Thank you for your review.
Sumaya Suma
This recipe is delicious and helpful for health.
Vij
I love the creamy tahini dressing.
I make a Mediterranean version of this salad by adding crumbled falafel and topping with pomagranate seeds and pinenuts for a decadent salad. Its a hands down favorite at our house.
Nicole
This was excellent! We substituted pepitas for sunflower seeds and added some pita chips for extra crunch :)
★★★★★
Marina
My favorite kale salad! So delicious and addictive, I often crave it so much I have to test my will power not to finish the whole bowl at once :D! it is one of the few salads that only gets better the next day. Thanks to you and your blog I actually started eating kale few years ago! Best regards, Marina
★★★★★
Sophia
I make this salad every single week, I absolutely love all your recipes – have 4 on rotation !
★★★★★
Maya
Well, what can I say. It’s amazing.
I’ve been wanting to start eating kale, cause I know the health benefits are amazing. I didn’t massage it or anything the first couple of times, but massaging really makes all the difference.
I didn’t have Parmesan or olives, so I used chickpeas, bell peppers and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as the dressing. Amazing.
Also, this recipe used up a lot of ingredients I had in the back of my fridge, so that was pretty great.
Needless to say, will definitely make again.
★★★★★
Kate
Hooray! Thank you for sharing, Maya. I’m glad you were able to enjoy this one.
Danielle Davis
Oh my goodness!! This is my new all time favorite salad. Love it. I made it yesterday and thought all day about how I was going to be able to have some for dinner tonight. Thank you for ANOTHER amazing recipe
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome! This one is a great favorite to have. I appreciate your review, Danielle.
Dee Dee Ptaszek
This is my favorite kale salad. I’ve been making it since 2019. I prefer making it with Lacinato Kale. I can’t wait until it’s growing in my garden this season. Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Kate
I love that, Dee! Thank you for sharing.
Lisa
OMG, this is delicious!!!! Thank you!
★★★★★
Kate
You’re welcome, Lisa!