Kale Caesar Salad with Tahini Vinaigrette

Here's a recipe introduced to our family by our friend Lise, a loyal customer of our organic baskets, which has transformed our vision of kale salads!

The tahini dressing is now one of my wife's favorites. It adds flavor and richness to a salad, as well as nutritional value in protein, vitamins and calcium, to name but a few.

I can't remember if the original version came from the Ottolenghi book or from someone else, but this version has been reinvented with Robo-Cuistot, our online assistant cook who you can use to give you culinary inspiration.

This salad is excellent with standard curly kale, but can also be made with lacinatokale.

Ingredients

For the salad:

• 1 bunch kale, stems removed and leaves chopped

• 1 cup homemade or purchased croutons

• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (optional)

• 1/2 cup roasted chickpeas (optional)

For the tahini dressing :

1/4 cup tahini

• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 2 tablespoons water (or more to adjust consistency)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Prepare vinaigrette:

1. In a bowl, combine tahini, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard and minced garlic.

2. Add water a tablespoon at a time until creamy but smooth.

3. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Prepare the salad:

1. Place the chopped kale in a large bowl.

2. Add the dressing to the tahini and toss well to coat the kale leaves. For a more interesting kale salad, massage the kale with your hands to make it more tender.

3. Add the croutons and roasted chickpeas (if using) and toss again.

4. Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

To serve:

• Serve immediately or let stand a few minutes to allow flavors to harmonize.

I hope you enjoy this recipe and that it may, as it did for me, give you a whole new appreciation for kale. This lesser known vegetable (especially by our francophone client ;-) is so full of nutrients and antioxidants, it's a real anti-cancer food. When properly prepared, it can also be darn good! 

Let us know how you like the recipe, and share your photos and variations in the Tourne-Sol facebook group!

Frédéric