Sesame Free Turmeric-Ginger Kale and Avocado Salad
Bright, bold, and built on real ingredients, this salad is the kind of bowl that makes you feel good from the first forkful. Massaging the kale with a pinch of salt is the move that transforms it from tough and bitter to silky and deeply savory — don't skip it. The dressing is where things get exciting: turmeric and fresh ginger give it a warm, golden kick, while lemon juice and a touch of honey keep everything balanced and bright. Creamy avocado slices, crunchy pumpkin seeds, and ribbons of purple cabbage and carrot round out the textures so every bite has something going on. For anyone navigating sesame allergies, salad dressings and seed toppings are often the trickiest part — tahini and sesame oil show up constantly in this category. Here, the dressing is built entirely on olive oil and lemon, and the crunch comes from pepitas instead, so there's nothing to second-guess. Finish it with a handful of fresh cilantro or parsley and serve it right away while the colors are still vivid.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
For the salad
- 1 bunch curly or lacinato kale (about 8 oz), stems removed, leaves torn into bite-sized pieces
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
- 2 ripe avocados, pitted and sliced
- 1 ½ cups shredded purple cabbage
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- ¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
For the dressing
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice (from about 1 ½ lemons)
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 tsp raw honey
- 1 small garlic clove, finely grated or pressed
- ¼ tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
For serving
- 2 tbsp fresh cilantro or flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Place the torn kale leaves in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Using clean hands, massage the kale firmly for 1–2 minutes, squeezing and working the leaves until they darken, soften noticeably, and reduce in volume by about one-third.
- 2
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, turmeric, grated ginger, honey, garlic, black pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt until the dressing is smooth and uniformly golden-yellow.
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