Even though summer is coming to a close, there are a still few days left of juicy summer flavors. This salad which I prepared while I was home in Pittsburgh was perfect for a hot August night but will fit just as well for the last hot days of Indian summer. Adapted from Nava Atlas’ Wild About Greens, (she previously did a For The Love of Kale interview), it’s a different twist with a creamier dressing.
This is the first time The Kale Project has shared a recipe with tahini. For those that are new to this sauce, it comes from sesame seeds and is prominent in Middle-Eastern dishes. It’s high in Omega fatty acids and can be used as a protein source as well.
Kale & Cucumber Salad with Avocado-Tahini Dressing
Wild About Greens, Nava Atlas
serves 6
Salad
1.5 bunches of kale (we used curly green but Tuscan would work well too)
1 medium cucumber, quartered lengthwise; cut away the seeds
1 cut of grated carrot (we did not have any organic at the time so opted out of this)
1/4 to 1/2 cup of minced parsley
2 scallions; green parts only, thinly sliced
Dressing
1 medium ripe avocado, peeled and diced
1/3 cup tahini
1 lemon (juice)
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2-4 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, to taste
1. Combine all the dressing ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth. Add water to achieve the consistency you’d like. The recipe calls for 1/4 to 1/2 cup but I would recommend a 1/2 cup.
2. De-stem the kale (as seen in this recipe) and massage with olive oil and a bit of salt.
3. Add the dressing and continue with a quick massage.
4. Add the additional ingredients and serve.