I’m in need of some greens. The gnarly kind. The kind that bite back.
Clearly kale is the answer. It’s clean and crunchy and that’s where we’re starting for today.
The very back of the pantry is like a treasure trove of forgotten bottles and spices. I dug out my neglected bottle of sesame oil and rice wine vinegar for this clean and crunchy salad. They’re just the right ingredients to tame the taste and texture of raw kale.
Fresh ginger is grated and whisked together with minced garlic, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar. A little honey to balance the spicy-ness of ginger, too! Salt and pepper, of course. Making fresh salad dressing is just that easy.
Before tossing the dressing onto the kale, I massaged the kale with a bit of olive oil. This helps soften the fibrous leaves further.
Chopped roasted almonds and sesame seeds for crunch and this salad is a go! It’s simple, satisfying, and totally green! What a way to make a pound of kale go down easy.
Sesame Kale Salad with Roasted Almonds
makes 4 small servings
1 tablespoon black sesame seeds
1 pound kale, cleaned, stems removed, and coarsely choppd
1 teaspoon olive oil
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 small clove of garlic, minced
scant 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
scant 2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon honey
salt and crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1/3 cup coarsely chopped roasted almonds
In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds until just fragrant. Remove from heat and place in a small bowl.
Place kale in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Massage the oil into the kale and set aside while you make the dressing.
In a small bowl whisk together the grated ginger, minced garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and honey until emulsified. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and taste. Season as needed. Pour the dressing over the kale and toss. Top with toasted sesame seeds and chopped almonds and toss once again. Serve immediately.
34 Responses
This is one delicious sounding kale recipe – the perfect Sunday discovery. I’m going to get busy in the kitchen!
Kale really is one of the greatest foods out there! I can’t wait to try this recipe. I’ve kind of been stuck on a Kale Chip binge recently (our recipe is super good: https://www.veganosity.com/food/kale-chips/), so I’m glad to find another kale recipe that looks fantastic!
Can’t wait to try this salad! Those flavors will definitely mask the raw kale taste and massaging the kale does wonders!
If it’s okay, I think I might eat the whole thing myself :) Love the addition of the almonds for some nice crunch. I’ll never turn down a big bowl of kale salad. Yum!
I have only discovered the joy of Kale over the past few months, not had it raw yet other than a nibble inbetween bag to pan, like the idea of massaging it with olive oil, its luxury kale!
I’m not really into kale, but this recipe just might have convinced to pick up a bunch when I go to the market next. Love sesame and ginger.
The sesame and ginger pair really well with the kale, so give it a try, you might become a kale believer!
That salad sounds and looks so good. All the elements would work so well together. Thanks for sharing!
This looked so good I made it already! Very tasty! The sesame definitely adds a new spin to the same old kale recipes I’ve been making. Will definitely be making this again.
mmm looks so delish…i might have to make this tonight!
Perfect. I have some kale in the refrigerator so I’ll be making this today.
Kale is often my green craving too – and I love this recipe!
I’m always looking for new (quick and easy) ways to incorporate kale into my diet…nice recipe!
This is a delicious looking salad. We really should enjoy the last bits of this kale season. Also, love the New Orleans light in these photos! Hope you’re already feeling at home already.
Sounds delicious! Massaging the kale really makes a difference.
it really does, right!?
Unearth those goodies, girl, it’s kind of the best, right?!
My sister and I did some cooking for a few months for a loved one with health issues. We made her lots of massaged kale salad, and I got hooked on it myself! I’m happy to have a new recipe to try; this one looks particularly good! :)
Massagine kale…that’s a new one. I have a post about how to make kale more manageable in salads. I might have to add that tip (with credit of course!).
This looks so fresh and summery!
Great recipe – but didn’t you hear . . . according to a recent NYT style piece, we don’t have kale here in NOLA! ;-)
pffftttt… i found kale no problem!
Indeed! That’s why so many of us here were a bit peeved at this b.s. article . . . and why I think it’s excellent that you posted a yummy kale recipe – thank you!!
I’ve never had kale but this salad makes me want to run out and buy some right now. Looks delicious!
Yum, the new kitchen is getting some use. Good luck in your new home.
i do a similar version with cold soba noodles, but i never add ginger!! great idea! i love this salad… so crisp and green and awesome!
cold soba sounds so good!
This sounds so nice! I love kale xx
BerrieBlogs| {beauty blog}
Quick question – you mention grated ginger in the description, but not in the recipe; how much?
Wait- nothing in the back of your pantry should be forgotten- you just stocked it!!! It’s all still neat and clean and organized, right?
i’m talking about when i cleaned my last pantry and moved it to New Orleans. that’s when i unearthed all of these gems!
I have a huge bunch of kale from my grandad’s garden, so this recipe popped up in my feed at just the right time. It looks delicious and I think i have all the ingredients in my cupboard right now!
Greens that bite back. Love that :)
And the dressing. With the rice wine, sesame oil, soy, honey….mmmm, sounds perfect! Pinned
mmm… I like the way you think with almonds and kale in salad. I always have stash in the back of the cupboard for those times of want to eat “clean”.
Like always I an stunned at the level of photography skills you have to get such crisp images. I can almost hear the texture!