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Kale Salad with Dates, Pistachios and Green Tahini

Kale Salad with Dates, Pistachios and Green Tahini

By Rose HattabaughOctober 12, 2020

  • Makes
    6 servings
  • Cook Time
    45 minutes
  • Active time plus cooling
    25 minutes active
  • Rating

Green tahini is a popular variation on a basic tahini sauce. It’s made by blending parsley (and sometimes other leafy herbs) into tahini, water, lemon juice, garlic and salt. The herbs tint the sauce green while also balancing the sesame’s nutty, slightly bitter flavor with fresh, grassy notes. For this hearty salad, we make a green tahini enriched with olive oil and honey to create a dressing that nicely coats sliced kale and complements its assertive, minerally taste. For pops of contrasting flavor and texture, we toss chopped dates and roasted pistachios into the mix. Unlike salads made with delicate greens, many kale salads, including this one, benefit from standing for a few minutes after dressing; this allows the leaves to wilt slightly and soften for better texture when eating. Greens like kale can be off-puttingly tough. One way to soften kale is to thinly slice it and then let it soak for a few minutes in an acidic mixture—such as this lime-juice-spiked tahini dressing—which acts as a tenderizer.

Tenderize Tough Greens with Acid
Raw greens like kale can be off-puttingly tough. One way to soften kale is to thinly slice it and then let it soak for a few minutes in an acidic mixture—such as this lime-juice-spiked tahini dressing—which acts as a tenderizer.

Tip

Don’t use bagged pre-cleaned kale, as it tends to lack freshness. It also contains a lot of tough, fibrous stems. Lacinato kale, also known as Tuscan or dinosaur kale, is best.

Ingredients
  • ½

    small red onion, thinly sliced

  • 2

    tablespoons plus ¼ cup lime juice

  • Kosher salt and ground black pepper

  • 1¼

    cups lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley

  • ⅓

    cup lightly packed fresh cilantro

  • ½

    cup tahini

  • ¼

    cup extra-virgin olive oil

  • 2

    teaspoons honey

  • 1

    medium garlic clove, smashed and peeled

  • 2

    bunches lacinato kale (about 1½ pounds total), stemmed, leaves thinly sliced (about 12 cups lightly packed)

  • 1

    cup pitted dates, roughly chopped

  • 1

    cup roasted pistachios, roughly chopped

  • 2

    tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Step 1

In a large bowl, stir together the onion, 2 tablespoons lime juice and ½ teaspoon salt; set aside for about 10 minutes to allow the onion to mellow.

Step 2

Meanwhile, in a blender combine the parsley, cilantro, tahini, oil, honey, garlic, ⅓ cup water, the remaining ¼ cup lime juice and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute, scraping the blender jar as needed.

Step 3

To the bowl with the onion mixture, add the kale, dates, pistachios and dressing. Toss well, then taste and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for about 15 minutes to allow the kale to soften slightly.

Step 4

Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the sesame seeds.

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