Almond Free Kale, Apple & Walnut Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
This hearty salad is the kind of thing that makes you genuinely excited about eating greens — bold, bright, and packed with texture in every single bite. Massaging the kale with sea salt is the move that transforms it from tough and bitter to silky and deeply flavorful, so don't skip that step. The lemon tahini dressing comes together in minutes and hits every note: creamy, tangy, a little sweet from the honey, and warmly spiced with turmeric and black pepper. Crisp apple slices, chewy dried cranberries, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and roughly chopped walnuts make this feel more like a composed restaurant salad than something you threw together on a weeknight. For anyone navigating tree nut concerns, it's worth noting that this recipe skips almonds entirely — the crunch and richness here come from walnuts and pumpkin seeds, so there's no need to swap or substitute anything. Everything in the bowl is straightforward and easy to source, with no hidden ingredients to second-guess. It's the kind of salad that actually keeps you full and has people asking for the dressing recipe before they've even finished their bowl.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 large bunch curly or lacinato kale (about 8 oz), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 1 medium apple, cored and thinly sliced
- ½ cup dry-roasted walnuts, roughly chopped
- ¼ cup dried cranberries (unsweetened or lightly sweetened with fruit juice)
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp tahini
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 large lemon)
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tbsp raw honey
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated
- ¼ tsp ground turmeric
- ¼ tsp ground black pepper
- 2–3 tbsp water, to thin
Instructions
- 1
Place the torn kale in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with the sea salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes until the leaves darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about half.
- 2
In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, honey, grated garlic, turmeric, and black pepper until smooth. Add water 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until the dressing is pourable and coats the back of a spoon.
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