Simple Kale Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing Recipe
This Simple Kale Harvest Salad with Maple Tahini Dressing is a vibrant and nutrient-packed dish combining hearty kale, cooked quinoa, roasted sweet potatoes, fresh apple, and crunchy pumpkin seeds. It’s perfectly balanced with a creamy, tangy maple tahini dressing that adds depth and sweetness, making it an ideal wholesome lunch or light dinner option that’s both satisfying and delicious.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Scale
Salad
- 6 cups kale, packed
- 1 cup diced apple (1 large apple)
- 1 cup cooked sweet potato (1 small sweet potato or half large sweet potato)
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- ½ cup feta cheese
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup chopped red onion or shallot
- 1 cup chickpeas (optional)
Maple Tahini Dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini
- ¼ cup lemon juice (1 large lemon or 2 small lemons)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1½ tablespoon pure maple syrup
- 1 clove garlic
- ¼ cup water (more as needed to thin it out)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Sweet Potatoes for Air Frying (if using)
- 1 small sweet potato or ½ large sweet potato
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼–½ teaspoon paprika
- ¼–½ teaspoon garlic powder
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Cook the quinoa: Rinse the quinoa thoroughly. In a pot, add rinsed quinoa and water, bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes until water is absorbed. Remove from heat and let it cool.
- Cook the sweet potatoes: Dice sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces. Toss with olive oil, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Arrange in a single layer in an air fryer basket and cook at 390℉ for 8-12 minutes, shaking halfway through, until tender and slightly crispy. Alternatively, cook using preferred method.
- Prep the kale: Chop kale into ribbons or bite-sized pieces. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt, a drizzle of olive oil, and apple cider vinegar or lemon juice. Massage the kale with your hands until it softens and becomes more tender. Set aside to marinate.
- Make the maple tahini dressing: Option 1 – Place all dressing ingredients including tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, maple syrup, garlic, salt, pepper, and water into a food processor and blend until smooth, adding water as needed to reach desired consistency. Option 2 – Mince garlic finely and whisk all dressing ingredients together in a bowl until smooth, thinning with water as necessary.
- Prepare remaining salad ingredients: Dice the apple and chop red onion or shallot finely for even distribution throughout the salad.
- Combine the salad: In a large bowl, add marinated kale, cooked sweet potatoes, cooked quinoa, diced apples, pumpkin seeds, feta cheese, red onion or shallot, and chickpeas if using.
- Toss and serve: Pour the maple tahini dressing over the salad and toss gently to combine. If preparing in advance, keep dressing separate and add just before serving to maintain freshness and texture.
Notes
- Massage kale thoroughly to soften its texture and reduce bitterness.
- For best texture, add dressing right before serving, especially if preparing salad ahead of time.
- Sweet potatoes can be roasted, baked, or steamed if an air fryer is not available.
- Adjust dressing thickness by adding more or less water to suit preference.
- Optional chickpeas add extra protein and fiber to make the salad more filling.
- Feta cheese can be omitted or substituted with a vegan alternative for dietary preferences.
Keywords: kale salad, maple tahini dressing, quinoa salad, sweet potato salad, healthy salad, vegetarian salad, autumn salad, easy salad recipe
