Author Notes
I'm always on a mission to create another sexy salad and squash the myth that they have to consist of the typical restaurant offering: romaine or iceberg lettuce, grainy tomato, flavorless stale cucumber, maybe a canned black olive or two, boxed croutons, and gloppy ranch. Blah. Cutting the kale as a chiffonade prevents it from tasting too bitter as it tends to do in larger raw pieces. Baby beets are best here too: their sweetness serves as an extra defense against any bitterness trying to creep out of the raw kale. Tahini stands in as the oil component, giving the dressing a creamy texture. —Kelly Haugen
Ingredients
- For the Salad
-
4-6
Baby beets, assorted colors
-
4 ounces
Kale (about 5 leaves)
-
1/4 cup
Zucchini, grated
-
1/4 cup
Carrot, grated
-
1/4 cup
Cucumber, grated
-
2 tablespoons
Walnuts, chopped
- For the Dressing
-
1 1/2 tablespoons
White balsamic vinegar
-
2 teaspoons
Tahini
-
1 teaspoon
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed
-
1/2 teaspoon
Thyme, fresh
-
1/4 teaspoon
Salt
-
1/4 teaspoon
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions
-
Place beets in a medium sauce pan and fill with just enough water to cover beets. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium. Cover pan and simmer for 6-7 minutes or until just tender. Remove from heat, drain, and set aside. When beets are cool enough to handle, slice them thinly.
-
To cut the kale in a chiffonade, cut out the stems and tough ribs and place leaves on top of each other. Role into a cigar shaped stack and thinly slice from one end to the other. You should have long strings of kale. Combine kale and other vegetables including beets in a medium mixing bowl.
-
In a separate small bowl, combine vinegar, Tahini and lemon juice. Whisk with a fork until Tahini completely breaks down and becomes creamy. Add thyme, salt and pepper to taste. Pour dressing over salad and stir to combine completely. Top with chopped walnuts and serve.
See what other Food52ers are saying.