We love a kale salad, folks. That is especially true when pomegranate arils, pears, pecans, and and maple tahini dressing accompany nutritionally dense kale. You get a nice balance of sweet and tart flavors with varying textures. We are talking about sweet, tart, salty, nutty, and creamy and crunchy. And the maple tahini dressing ties everything together, making this the perfect kale salad for the holiday season.
This kale salad, as you can see in the picture, requires some serious chopping skills. Chopping the kale thinly helps break down the fibrous nature, which makes for a more enjoyable eating experience. Just make sure to remove the thick stems and massage the leaves prior to slicing the leaves thinly. That will really help to break down the fibrous texture. Additionally, the pears are cut into matchsticks, but you can cube them or slice them thinly. Whichever type of cut you prefer is the exactly the way to do it!
We love salads that have multiple textures and layers of flavor. What ties everything together, much like the rug in The Big Lebowski, is the creamy maple tahini dressing. The nutty tahini makes this dressing incredibly luxurious and you get a little zing from the apple cider vinegar and sweet hint of maple syrup. It is a dressing that you can enjoy not only on this salad, but on other salads also. If you find a salad that works with this dressing, be sure to reach out and lettuce (wink wink) know about it!
- Prep Time:15m
- Total Time:15m
- Serves: 4 servings
- Category: Full Body Cleanse Approved, Salads & Dressings, Raw, Vegan, Vegetarian, Gluten-Free
Ingredients
For the Salad
- 2 bunches kale, stems removed and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp. lemon juice
- pinch of sea salt & pepper
- 2 pears, cut into matchsticks
- 1 c raw pecans, roughly chopped
- 5 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1/2 c pomegranate arils
For the Dressing
- 1/4 c tahini
- 2 tbsp. maple syrup
- 2 tbsp. olive oil
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. filtered water
- 2 tbsp. shallot, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
For the Salad
- Rinse the kale leaves, remove the thick stems, and thinly slice the leaves. Add them to a large bowl with the lemon juice, pinch of sea salt, and black pepper.
- Massage the kale with your hands until it is soft (about three minutes). Add the remaining salad ingredients to the bowl, toss gently to combine, and set aside while you make the dressing.
For the Dressing
- Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and whisk until fully combined. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to ensure all ingredients are coated. Enjoy immediately.
