This salad hopefully will convert any kale haters out there. Hey, I didn’t use to like kale as well! Actually I thought it was pretty awful, chewy, bitter, you get the drill. But when cooked or dressed in right way kale can actually be quite delicious plus is so good for us it’s totally worth to make an effort to eat it more, right? The key to eat raw kale is to make sure you massage it first so it will become softer and less chewy. This creamy garlic and tahini dressing is just perfect to counter balance the bitterness of this leafy green as it’s creamy, rich and indulgent. Please don’t skip the roasted garlic as it really transform this dressing into something utterly delicious!

Ingredients:

Serves 2

3-4 cups of finely chopped and destemmed kale

A pinch of sea salt

1 apple

1/2 cucumber

A handful of walnuts (pecans will work as well)

A sprinkle of chilli flakes (totally optional)

For the dressing:

1/4 cup of smooth and runny tahini

2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar

2 tsp of white miso paste

2 tsp of maple syrup

Enough water to thin it out until it reaches a “dressing” kind of consistency

2-3 roasted garlic cloves

Place the chopped kale into a large bowl and add the pinch of salt. With your hands start massaging the kale by slightly scrunching the kale leaves. Keep massaging until you see that the kale leaves are starting to wilt and become softer.

Leave it onto one side while you are making the dressing.

To roast the garlic simple place the cloves onto a baking tray in the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 minutes until super soft. You should be able to squish out the pulp very easily.

I sometimes roast the whole garlic bulb so I can use the rest for pasta sauces or pesto.

To make the dressing add all the ingredients into a bowl apart from the water and with a fork mash down the roasted garlic. Gradually add the water and keep mixing until you achieve a creamy and runny consistency.

Toast the walnuts in a hot non stick pan for few minutes until they start to brown.

To assemble the salad: chop in small pieces the apple and the cucumber. Add them to the large bowl with the massaged kale. Pour over the dressing and give it a really good mix. Sprinkle the walnuts on top and the chilli flakes (if using) and enjoy! I also like to add some crunchy chickpeas when I want to make it more filling, find the recipe here.