Creamy Tahini Kale Bean Salad

This easy kale and bean salad is packed with good for you ingredients, is crave-worthy and can be made in advance. Thanks to a creamy tahini dressing, the salad is plant-based, vegan and ultra-satisfying.

The base is perfectly prepped raw kale — see below to see how we turn tough to digest raw kale into a tender, delicious salad base. Next comes protein-packed and satisfying white beans — one of our favorite meatless ingredients. Last, but not least, we toss the whole salad in our dreamy tahini dressing and top with omega-3 rich walnuts.

How to Make the Best Kale Salad

We love using kale in salad, but prepping the kale properly is a must.

Since kale is such a hearty green, it can sometimes be too much when served raw. Here’s how we take raw kale from tough to tender:

• Remove the ribs — The ribs are tough and aren’t the best when eaten raw. Use your fingers to pull the leaves away from the stems. Save the ribs for cooking later on or adding to stocks.
• Rinse clean — Run the kale leaves under cool water to remove any dirt then pat or spin dry.
• Chop the leaves small — Kale is a hearty veggie so keep the pieces small for the salad. Sometimes we shred the kale, which looks really nice in a bowl. For this kale and bean salad recipe, we simple chop into bite-size pieces.

Massage the kale — Here’s the real secret to the best kale salad. Throw the kale into a bowl and top with a little salt and something acidic (we use lemon juice in this recipe). Then use your fingers to massage the salt and acid into the kale leaves. As you do this, you’ll notice that the leaves turn a deeper green and they start to feel softer and more tender.

The salt, acid and massaging helps to break the kale down — similar to what happens when you cook it. By adding this step to your kale salad making repertoire, you turn hearty (and sometimes hard to digest) raw kale into tender, delicious salad greens.

Finishing the Salad with Beans, Tahini Dressing and Walnuts

When the kale is prepped, it’s time to build the salad. In goes some beans — we use chickpeas and cannellini beans, but any kind of bean will work. To make things easy, reach for canned or cook your own beans from scratch.

On to the dressing. We have a version of this tahini sauce in our fridge at all times. The sauce is lemony, garlicky and works wonders when drizzled or tossed with veggies. We especially love it drizzled over these honey roasted carrots.

To make the dressing, start with tahini — use store-bought or try our homemade tahini — then whisk in lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, spices and water. It’s a total winner.

Last, but not least, we throw in walnuts — you could use any nut in its place. We do love the walnuts, though. They add richness and crunch.

Once the salad is done, it should last quite a while in your fridge. This is the perfect make-ahead lunch. It will be good for at least a day, if not two or three.

If you have kale leftover, try our easy lemon garlic sautéed kale recipe!

This kale and bean salad would go really well next to these Sesame Garlic Flatbreads, this Quick and Easy Vegetable Soup, our Guilt-Free Asparagus Soup or our Lemon Chicken and Vegetable Soup.

More Easy Salad Recipes

• Lemony White Bean Salad with Prosciutto — This Mediterranean inspired bean salad has creamy white beans, salty prosciutto, parmesan cheese, peppery arugula, and a punchy lemon dressing.
• Herby Cauliflower Salad with Chickpeas — Thanks to a light lemony dressing and lots of fresh herbs, this simple cauliflower salad tastes surprisingly delicious and lasts in the fridge for days.
• Very Best Avocado Salad — I could eat this avocado salad with crunchy cucumbers every day. The salad could not be simpler to make and can be enjoyed all by itself, as a side, as a chunky salsa or spooned on top of larger salads.
• Seriously Good Quinoa Salad — Our ultra-flavorful and satisfying quinoa salad recipe is packed with superfoods. It’s vegan, easy to make, and tastes incredible.