Kale Salad with Dates, Pistachios and Green Tahini

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.