Rice Free Kale, Apple & Walnut Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
This salad is a textbook example of how a handful of whole ingredients can come together into something genuinely crave-worthy. Massaging the kale with sea salt is the secret move here — it transforms the leaves from tough and bitter into silky, deeply flavored greens that actually absorb the dressing rather than fight it. Speaking of the dressing, the lemon tahini situation is bright, nutty, and just a little earthy from the turmeric, with honey and garlic rounding everything out into something you'll want to drizzle on basically anything. Crisp apple slices add a juicy sweetness, while the walnuts and pumpkin seeds bring serious crunch and richness to every forkful. The dried cranberries tie it all together with little bursts of tart-sweet flavor that keep each bite interesting. Every single component here is naturally grain-free, so there's no swapping or substituting needed — this is just a genuinely satisfying salad that happens to work beautifully for anyone avoiding rice or other grains. It holds up well after tossing, making it a smart choice for a lunch you actually look forward to eating.
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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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