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Home Vegan Recipes Kale Salad Recipe

Kale Salad Recipe

Do you hear the word kale and instantly feel queasy? Then keep reading! This Kale Salad Recipe has reinvented dry, unappealing kale into a tasty and flavorful veggie, making it the starring ingredient of this show-stopping Vegan Kale Salad. 

And better yet - it’s everything you could want in a meal. It’s colorful, it’s healthy, it’s delicious, and it’s vegan. Let’s dig in!

This Vegan Kale Salad has a great balance of taste, texture, and flavor. Crunchy kale and cabbage, sweet carrot, and soft avocado - it’s got it all going on. Serve as a side, or have it as your main meal for an easy lunch or dinner. 

And the dressing is crazy amazing! We love just about anything with tahini. Combining lemon, olive oil, garlic, and a little heat with a hint of sweetness is the perfect combo. The turmeric adds an anti-inflammatory touch as well as enriches the vibrant color of this amazing sauce. 

You can use it over so many things; we love drizzling it over roasted veggies, using it in wraps, or as a dip for crudités. This Kale Salad Recipe is a keeper!

Kale Salad Recipe

  • Prep Time: 20 minutes
  • Servings: 6

Here’s what you need:

Main Ingredients
  • For the Salad:
  • 1 head of kale, dino, curly or baby kale, de-stemmed and chopped
  • 1 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 cup shredded carrots
  • 1 avocado, cubed
  • ¼ cup walnuts, chopped or pumpkin seeds
  • 2-3 tbsp hemp seeds
  • ¼ cup diced sundried tomatoes in oil or soaked, (optional)
  • For the Dressing:
  • 1/3 cup EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
  • 1/3 cup liquid tahini
  • 3 tbsp coconut aminos or tamari
  • ⅓- ½ cup lemon juice or lime juice
  • 2-3 tsp maple syrup
  • 3/4 tsp ground turmeric
  • ¼ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)
  • 1 garlic clove, minced

Directions

  • How To Make The Salad Dressing - Step By Step
  • Whisk all the dressing ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl or you can shake it all up in a jar. You could also use a blender or processor. Mix until smooth.
  • Add water one tablespoon at a time until you’ve reached your desired thickness and adjust seasonings as needed.
  • Any extra dressing will last in the fridge for up to a week. You may need to thin it out a bit by adding water.
  • How To Make Kale Salad - Step By Step:
  • Prepare your veg for this Vegan Kale Salad according to the information in the ‘ingredients’ section.
  • In a large bowl, massage the kale with enough dressing to coat for about 2-3 mins. You can let it rest like this for up to an hour, but if you have the time, let it sit for at least 30 mins. This will make the kale more tender but don’t worry, it won’t get soggy!
  • When the kale is ready, mix in the remaining salad ingredients. Add more dressing if you like. Serve in a large bowl, and tuck in!

Top Tips

  • Make this the best Vegan Kale Salad it can be by following our top tips below:

  • Tip 1: Keep the contrast!

  • Even if you’re making variations, try to preserve the idea of having lots of contrasting textures and tastes in this Vegan Kale Salad. Contrast is a great way to keep salads interesting and enjoyable to eat, so if you find yourself making a few changes, try to maintain the sense of diversity in flavor and texture.

  • Tip 2: Keep kale as the starring ingredient!

  • This is a Kale Salad Recipe, after all, so let’s keep it that way. We recommend having (in terms of ratios) slightly more kale than other veg, partly because of its amazing health attributes, but also because it tastes absolutely delicious in this salad. 

  • Tip 3: Keep the dressing for other salads!

  • This Vegan Kale Salad dressing is zesty, sweet, and spicy all at once, making it the perfect way to liven up any dull, boring salads. Why not make extra dressing that you can store in the fridge to use on other salads? And it doesn’t just have to be salads - this dressing is extremely versatile and tastes good with loads of vegan meals.

  • Variations:

    There are loads of great variations you can try with this super healthy Kale Salad Recipe. For example, you could add or swap the vegetables. Try roasted sweet potatoes or squash, diced peppers, sliced green or red onion, or replace the sun-dried tomatoes with fresh grape/cherry tomatoes. Here are a few more variations you could try!

    • Add tofu, tempeh chickpeas, or lentils to make this a complete and balanced meal.
    • Use flax or hemp oil in place of the EVOO.
    • Change up the nuts and or seeds to match your own personal preferences.
    • Take out the maple syrup for a more savory flavor for your Vegan Kale Salad.
    • Alternatively, you can add dried cranberries, goji berries, or fresh apple cubes for added sweetness!

Frequently Asked Questions

Where can I find the ingredients to make the dressing for this Kale Salad Recipe?

You can find the ingredients to make this vegan salad dressing right here on the PlantX website. We’ve got high-quality EVOO, tahini, maple syrup, and coconut aminos to make your vegan salad dressing as tasty as ever.

How do you make kale less bitter for salad?
We love this Kale Salad Recipe because it disguises the vegetable’s naturally quite bitter taste! Using ingredients like maple syrup in your dressing and fresh fruit in your salad, you can cover any unpleasant taste with sweetness.
Can I make the kale crispy?
You sure can! If you would rather cook your kale, skip step 3 and coat your destemmed kale in some EVOO, salt, and pepper and bake it in the oven until crispy. You can then continue the steps as suggested and coat the whole salad in a generous amount of dressing at the end. It’s a just-as-healthy, just-as-delicious option for your Vegan Kale Salad.
How do you ‘massage’ kale for kale salad?
When you ‘massage’ kale before putting it in a salad, you’re breaking it down, making it easier to eat and digest. It’s also super simple. Coat your kale with our suggested dressing, or if you’re using kale in a different recipe, coat with oil and a bit of salt. Then, massage, squeeze, and pinch the kale with your hands, making an effort to really break it down.
How should I store my Vegan Kale Salad?
Your vegan salad dressing should last for up to 7 days refrigerated. When using again, give it a good stir and add a little water or oil if it has thickened. If you have some salad leftover, keep it in the fridge but try to eat it the next day, and no more than two days after. It tastes the best when it’s as fresh as possible! Store both in a sealed, airtight container.

If you love this recipe…

Loved this Kale Salad Recipe from PlantX? Check out some of our similar recipes listed below. They’re tasty, healthy, and of course, vegan!

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