Name: Anything-Goes Kale Salad with Green Tahini Dressing
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1/2 medium bunch kale, preferably the Tuscan/lacinato variety, or several handfuls of your favorite greens; 1 cup leftover cooked grains (I love brown rice, wild rice, quinoa, farro or wheat berries…); 2 carrots, sliced into long ribbons with a julienne peeler or regular veggie peeler; 1 radish, thinly sliced and roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) or sunflower seeds, toasted; More ideas: halved cherry tomatoes, sliced avocado, chopped bell pepper, whatever else strikes your fancy…; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1/3 cup lime juice (about 3 to 4 medium limes); Handful of fresh cilantro; 1 small jalapeño, seeds and membranes removed, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons tahini; 1 1/2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup; 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped; 1/4 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt, to taste; Pinch of red pepper flakes, optional for extra heat

American

Bowl

To prepare the kale (skip this step if you&#8217;re using any other kind of fresh green), first use a sharp chef&#8217;s knife to remove the center ribs from the kale, then discard the ribs. Chop the kale into small, bite-sized pieces. Then, sprinkle the kale lightly with salt, and massage the kale by scrunching handfuls at a time until the kale is darker in color and fragrant. This step reduces the bitterness in the kale and improves its texture.

In a bowl, combine the prepared kale, leftover grains (I like to warm mine a bit in the microwave first), carrot, radishes, toasted pepitas, and/or your toppings of choice.

To make the dressing: Combine all of the ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth, pausing to scrape down the sides as necessary. Taste, and blend in additional salt if the dressing needs a little more oomph. If you’d like spicier dressing, blend in a pinch of red pepper flakes. If the dressing is too bold for your liking, dilute it with a little more olive oil and blend again.

Drizzle the green tahini dressing generously over the salad (you&#8217;ll still have plenty leftover) and enjoy.

Anything-Goes Kale Salad with Green Tahini Dressing

Utensils needed:

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