The now-shuttered Scandinavian restaurant DA/BA in Hudson was the inspiration for this creamy, delicious salad. In the raw, kale can be coarse and literally hard to swallow. The trick to a more palatable salad is marinating the kale with dressing overnight. I like to make a large bunch of this and keep it refrigerated in an air-tight container. The kale leaves are so sturdy, they don’t get limp, even for up to a week. Viola — healthy fast food!
Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing (makes about a cup)
Ingredients
1 large bunch of kale, torn in bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup Tahini
About 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or Tamari sauce)
1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar (preferably raw and unfiltered)
Juice of 1 lemon, plus the zest
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon Harissa or hot sauce
Small amount of hot water (half a cup or less) for mixing purposes
Instructions
Place kale in large rectangular baking dish or a similar shaped plastic container. Add the first six dressing ingredients into a small glass mixing bowl and mix vigorously with a wire wisk. The acids from the aminos, vinegar and lemon will cause the Tahini to bind up and become very thick – this is normal – just mix as thoroughly as you can. To thin the dressing out to a creamy liquid, add hot water, a few tablespoons at a time until proper consistency is achieved.
Drizzle over kale leaves and mix thoroughly so each leaf is coated. Marinate overnight. Optional: Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds.
Stacey Morris is a Loudonville-based food writer and health coach who lost 180 pounds through clean eating and exercise. Her website is www.staceymorris.com. Her cookbook, “Clean Comfort,” is available through Amazon.com.
