This chopped kale salad features tender kale leaves, shaved Brussels sprouts, and crunchy red onions, all coated in a creamy tahini dressing topped with toasted hazelnuts. This wholesome salad makes a flavourful side dish or the perfect salad base for a satiating main.
Servings4 side servings
Equipment
- Microplane for grating garlic (optional)
- Mandolin to thinly slice Brussels sprouts (optional)
Ingredients
For the tahini dressing:
- 1 small garlic clove, peeled and grated or finely minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, or lemon juice
- ¼ cup tahini paste
- 2 tablespoons cold water, more or less as needed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
For the kale salad:
- 8 oz curly kale* (about 1 medium bunch), stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
- 4 oz Brussels sprouts*, thinly sliced or shredded
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup blanched hazelnuts*
- ½ red onion, thinly sliced and placed in a bowl of cold water
- black pepper and salt flakes, to taste
Instructions
- Start with the tahini dressing. Place the grated garlic and vinegar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Set aside to let the garlic macerate in the acidic vinegar while you get on with the kale salad – for at least 10 minutes.
- Grab a large mixing bowl. Add the chopped kale and shredded Brussels sprouts and massage it with a tablespoon of olive oil and a good pinch of salt. Keep at it for a minute or two – or until the kale leaves become tender and slightly wilted. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet or frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the blanched hazelnuts to toast for 3 minutes – or until toasted and fragrant – shaking the pan now and then. Transfer the toasted nuts to a cutting board, and let them cool for a moment before roughly chopping them.
- Add the maple syrup and Dijon mustard (or lemon juice) to the garlic and vinegar mixture, and mix well. Then add the tahini paste and stir. The mixture will become thick and may seize completely – don't worry about this. Gradually add cold water until the sauce is smooth and creamy. Look for a consistency like a thick mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt – I add half a teaspoon.
- Drain the sliced red onion and pat dry. Add it to the kale mix and toss well to combine.
- When you're ready to serve the salad, toss it with the tahini dressing until the kale leaves are well-coated. Top the salad with the chopped, toasted hazelnuts. And finish with a generous grind of black pepper and Maldon salt flakes to taste.
Notes
- I use curly kale for this salad, but you can also use Lacinato kale (Tuscan kale or dinosaur kale).
- If you don't have the patience to finely slice or shred Brussels sprouts, substitute them with more kale or try another cruciferous vegetable like shredded cabbage.
- I adore toasted hazelnuts with cruciferous vegetables. But you can use any toasted nut or seed – sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds are both popular choices.
- You can make the tahini dressing a few days in advance and massage the kale up to 24 hours ahead of time. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to three days, the salad lasts surprisingly well, but the hazelnuts will lose their crunch. So, if you're making this tahini kale salad as part of meal prep, it's best to keep the hazelnuts separate.