This salad idea came upon me when I visited a certain nationwide chain of healthy food stores. This store is wonderful and I often like spend my life’s savings each time I visit, but since they charge what really feels like $57 per pound for their salad-bar food, I decided to make my own version myself. And then I decided to spend  the leftover money on a new sports bra from Athleta. Money well spent… but I realize it’s likely more money than just buying the damn salad. I’ll make sure I wear my bra when I eat my salad, just to prove a point. This salad also has the nickname… cue Drake voice… “No New Friends” Salad, because it is a bit STINKY…. stinky in the best way ever, who needs new friends?! Just don’t plan any dates or business meetings after eating this salad, unless you don’t like the people. In that case, eat the whole bowl and then sit really close to them while whispering them sweet-nothings like Marilyn Monroe.

On a more serious note, I honestly think kale is the most underrated leafy green out there. It’s popular, but aside from being trendy, there’s so many great things about kale.

It’s super high in vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin K, manganese, calcium, iron, and beta carotene… so many vitamins.  I think beta carotene is the most important, because it’s said to help fight against skin cancer…. and I love the sun. According to Dr. Drew Ramsey, MD, TEDx alum and member of Dr. Oz’s ShareCare, kale also contains phytonutrients called sulfurophane which helps your liver detox, as well as kaempferol, which is belived to help you keep your youthful glow. Well, you know what they say… closer to kale, closer to God.

They don’t say that, actually. That’s embarrassing.

Garlic Tahini Kale, a.k.a. “No New Friends” Salad

Prep time: 20min

Total Time: 20 min

Serves 8-10 people

Ingredients:

• 1 medium-sized head of curly kale, stems removed
• 1/4 cup tahini, room temperature
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce, or gluten-free tamari, may need more to taste
• 6-7 cloves garlic, pressed or finely minced
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1/3 cup olive oil

Directions:

1. After removing the stems, chop kale up, loosely so it’s easier to bite. No one wants to eat one giant leaf, that’s hard. Once chopped, put in a large bowl and set aside.
2. In a smaller bowl, mix tahini and soy sauce, and stir until evenly mixed. Add garlic, continue to stir. Add lemon juice, also stirring. Slowly drizzle olive oil in until emulsified.
3. Here’s where things can get a little dicey, but note, this does NOT impact the flavor. After adding the lemon juice, sometimes the dressing “curdles”, or separates. I don’t know why, but I would imagine it’s likely due to the citrus. As long as your ingredients are fresh, you shouldn’t need to worry. You won’t notice once it’s on the salad. Taste your dressing, and add more lemon or soy as needed. I doubt you’ll need more garlic, but you can add more if you think it needs it.
4. Drizzle dressing over kale and stir thoroughly – it’s easiest with tongs. To make sure everything is coated, I really mix it up well for a few minutes. On the flip side, if you have too much dressing, just add more kale. Do whatever you want, this salad is just the greatest.
5. You can serve immediately, but this is always the first thing I make so I can let it marinate on the counter while I cook other things. That way, the flavor really soaks in.

Enjoy! And don’t forget to comment and tell me about how yours came out 🙂

-S