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Warm Kale Salad (Tahini Dressing!) – Sugar Free Londoner
My warm kale salad has a tasty lemon tahini dressing and I top it with parmesan, crispy ham and walnuts. It’s a delicious way to eat your greens during the colder months. Works as a side dish or as a light lunch or dinner.
I am a huge fan of big salads during summer and I often make my famous massaged raw kale salad.
But, as soon as the weather turns, I crave warm food. Which is exactly where this cooked kale salad comes in. It is sautéed kale, but so much more exciting… because we are tossing it in a tangy tahini salad dressing. And just like that, it’s a “hot salad”!
If you have been on the fence about kale, this recipe is going to turn you into a fan. Cooked kale is more tender than raw kale and does not taste bitter at all.
Even better, you don’t need to massage the kale when you cook it!
Also try my broccoli salad.
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What’s To Love About This Recipe
Healthy. Kale is super nutritious. It is rich in vitamins, antioxidants and beta-carotene, supports eye health, heart health and is good for weight management.
Low carb. One serving has only 4.9g net carbs.
Easy. The recipe comes together in just 10 minutes.
Versatile. Sautéed kale salad can be a light meal on its own, or serve it as a side for dinner. You can vary the add-ins (I’m giving you ideas in this post). And last but not least, it tastes great warm as well as cold. I eat leftovers straight from the fridge!
Ingredients
Let’s talk ingredients. You’ll find exact quantities in the recipe card at the bottom of the post, but I wanted to give you a bit of extra info right here:
- Curly kale – I recommend buying a bag of kale leaves over prepared chopped kale. From my experience, whole kale leaves are always fresher and of better quality. Also, you won’t have any tough chopped stem pieces in your salad.
- Olive oil – for frying the kale.
- Garlic – Fresh garlic elevates the flavor. I fry it with the kale, but you could also use ½ clove raw garlic mixed in the dressing for even more punch.
- Parmesan – Grate the parmesan from a wedge of cheese at home. This always has more flavor than pre-shredded cheese. I used Grana Padano, but Pecorino would also work well. Or, use a vegan parmesan for a dairy-free version.
- Parma ham – This adds a deliciously salty kick and I love how crispy it gets in the oven.
- Walnuts – Complements kale with earthy, nutty goodness.
- Dessing – The main ingredient in the dressing is light tahini. This is a paste made from roasted sesame seeds that’s popular in Middle Eastern cuisine. We also add lemon juice for a tangy kick as well as salt, pepper and optional sesame oil for a more intense sesame flavor. Water is used to thin out the dressing to a pourable consistency.
How to prepare kale for salad
- Whole curly kale: Tear the leaves from the stem. Option to fold the leaves in half and cut alongside the stem with a sharp knife.
- Chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
- Prepared chopped kale: pick out the largest stem bits. They are tough and don’t taste great.
- Wash in a colander under cold water.
Instructions
It is simple to make a warm kale salad. Here are the basic steps.
Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method with ingredient amounts, timings and nutrition information.
STEP 1
Crisp up the parma ham and the nuts. Chop the walnuts.
STEP 2
Whisk together the dressing.
STEP 3
Fry the garlic in olive oil on a medium heat until it softens, then saute the kale until it wilts.
STEP 4
Toss the salad with the dressing and serve!
Katrin’s Top Tips
#1 No oven? Pan-fry the walnuts and microwave the parma ham for 30 seconds – 1 minute.
#2 Tahini dressing: There is a moment when you think the dressing won’t come together. Keep on whisking! It will emulsify and go from seemingly split to super thick and smooth. That’s when you add more water as needed.
Variations
The minimalist version of this salad is the warm kale with the tahini dressing. Here are tried and tested tweaks:
Dressing: Change up the dressing by adding tumeric, cumin or ginger. Or make a green tahini dressing by blending in fresh coriander and parsley.
Salad ingredient swaps and add-ins:
- Nuts: Pecans, almonds or hazelnuts
- Seeds: Pumpkin or sunflower seeds
- Protein: Bacon rashers or lardons
- Veggies: roasted bell peppers, green beans, tenderstem broccoli, beetroot or butternut squash
- Tinned: Artichoke hearts, sun-dried tomatoes
- Fruit: pomegranate seeds or sugar free dried cranberries
Serving Suggestion
This recipe makes 2 light main course portions. Or, serve it as a side with roasted chicken, keto falafel or a mezze style platter with roasted eggplant, fennel and bell peppers, keto hummus and air fryer turnips or radishes.
Recipe FAQs
Can I steam the kale?
Yes. For a steamed kale salad, add some extra virgin olive oil to the dressing. This really improves the flavor.
Can I eat it cold?
Yes, hot kale salad also tastes great after it has cooled down.
How to meal prep kale salad?
You can prepare the dressing a day in advance. To eat the salad hot, toss the kale in the dressing just after sauteeing and serve straight away.
Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
More Easy Salad Recipes
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Recipe
Warm Kale Salad
Warm kale salad is a delicious way to eat your greens during the colder months. You’ll love the lemon tahini dressing! Ready in 10 minutes, naturally low carb and works as a side or as a light lunch or dinner.
Instructions
Crisp up ham and roast nuts
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Preheat the oven to 400F / 200C electric.
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Bake the parma ham and the nuts on a parchment paper lined baking tray for 5 – 6 minutes until the ham is crispy and the walnuts toasted. (Option to pan fry the walnuts and microwave the parma ham for 30 seconds – 1 minute.) Chop walnuts.
Mix tahini dressing
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Stir together the tahini, lemon, water plus optional sesame oil in a mixing bowl until smooth and creamy. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If the dessing is too thick, add more water to make it creamy.
Notes
5.7g net carbs per serve. Makes 2 servings as a light main course (or 4 servings as a side dish).
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Also tastes great cold.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Also tastes great cold.
Nutrition
Calories: 303kcalTotal Carbohydrates: 9.4gProtein: 16.5gFat: 23.8gSaturated Fat: 4.5gFiber: 3.7gSugar: 1.4g
