Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
Serves 4-6 people
I follow a pretty basic formula for any salad I create. It starts with a lettuce or vegetable, then I add a grain that I think would complement that lettuce or vegetable as well as some nuts and seeds. Next I use whatever vegetables or fruits are in season that I can shave raw on top, as long as they will get along with all their new friends in the mixing bowl.
I try to have a variety of textures and flavors. The best salad will hit all the notes: sweet, salty, bitter and acidic, and a dash of umami for all you overachievers. This salad has all that and more, and somehow manages to stay vegan and gluten free. Don’t tell the others, but this one might be my favorite.
Salad:
¾ cup raw wild rice
1 bunch curly kale, washed and de-stemmed
4 radishes, thinly sliced
1 kohlrabi bulb, thinly sliced
2 small carrots, thinly sliced
2 tbsp roasted pumpkin seeds
1 recipe pickled onions (see below)
Sea salt to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 bottle of Produce & Provide’s Lemon Tahini Dressing
Place the wild rice in a small pot, and add 2 cups of water, plus a drizzle of olive oil and a healthy pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Cook for about 45 minutes, covered, until the grains of rice are completely tender. Drain any excess water and spread out on a baking sheet to cool the rice quickly.
Thinly shred the kale using either a knife or a food processor. Combine it with the pickled onions, thinly shaved radishes, kohlrabi, carrots, wild rice and pumpkin seeds in a mixing bowl. Add the dressing along with some salt and pepper. Mix until well combined. Check for seasoning and serve.
*A quick side note, this goes really well with a piece of grilled chicken or roasted turkey breast on top if you are looking to add a protein.
Quick Pickled Onion:
1 cup red onion, thinly sliced
1 lemon, juiced
Sea salt to taste
Mix the thinly sliced red onion with the lemon juice and a teaspoon of salt in a bowl and reserve. The onions will start to pickle, give them 15 minutes for the acid and salt to work their magic.