Kale Salad Bowl Tahini (Printable)

Tender massaged kale meets roasted vegetables and crunchy toppings in a wholesome bowl finished with creamy tahini dressing.

# What You Need:

→ Salad Base

01 - 1 large bunch kale (approximately 7 ounces), stems removed, leaves torn
02 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
03 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

→ Roasted Vegetables

04 - 1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cubed
05 - 1 red bell pepper, sliced
06 - 1 medium zucchini, sliced
07 - 1 small red onion, sliced
08 - 1 tablespoon olive oil for roasting
09 - 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

→ Nuts and Seeds

10 - 1/4 cup roasted almonds, roughly chopped
11 - 2 tablespoons pumpkin seeds
12 - 2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

→ Tahini Dressing

13 - 1/4 cup tahini
14 - 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
15 - 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
16 - 1 clove garlic, minced
17 - 3 to 4 tablespoons water, as needed for consistency
18 - 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
19 - Freshly ground black pepper to taste

# Directions:

01 - Set oven to 400°F (200°C) and allow it to fully preheat.
02 - Combine sweet potato, red bell pepper, zucchini, and red onion in a bowl. Toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil and sea salt. Spread evenly on a baking sheet and roast for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until vegetables are tender and lightly caramelized.
03 - While vegetables roast, place torn kale leaves in a large salad bowl. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Massage the leaves vigorously with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes until they become soft and bright green in color.
04 - In a separate small bowl, whisk together tahini, fresh lemon juice, maple syrup, minced garlic, sea salt, and black pepper. Gradually add water while whisking until the dressing reaches a smooth, pourable consistency.
05 - Add the roasted vegetables, halved cherry tomatoes, chopped almonds, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds to the massaged kale in the large bowl.
06 - Drizzle the tahini dressing evenly over the salad and toss gently until all components are well coated. Serve immediately while the roasted vegetables are still warm.

# Top Tips:

01 -
  • The tahini dressing is thick enough to cling to every leaf, making this feel like comfort food disguised as health food.
  • You can prep everything while the oven does the heavy lifting, so you're genuinely done in 45 minutes with minimal stress.
  • It's the kind of salad that tastes better the next day as flavors meld, so it's perfect for meal prep without sacrificing quality.
02 -
  • Massaging the kale is not optional—it transforms the texture so completely that skipping it results in a salad that feels raw and almost inedible compared to when you do it properly.
  • The dressing comes together smoothly only if you whisk the tahini and lemon juice first; if you add all ingredients at once, you'll end up with separated, grainy texture that's nearly impossible to fix.
  • Warm roasted vegetables meeting cold tahini dressing creates an unexpected temperature contrast that somehow makes the entire bowl taste more complex and satisfying.
03 -
  • Make the tahini dressing slightly thinner than you think you want it—it will thicken slightly as it sits and cools, and you can always add more water if needed.
  • Toast your almonds and seeds lightly in a dry pan before adding them to deepen their flavor and make them taste fresher and more intentional.
  • If your kale feels tough even after massaging, you've probably been too gentle; use real pressure and work it for a full three minutes until it becomes noticeably darker and more pliable.
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