Kale & Cranberry Salad with Tahini Cider Dressing

GFGluten Free

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This simple vegan Kale Salad is studded with dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, and shallot. The simple Tahini Cider Dressing takes it to the top!

This Kale & Cranberry Salad with Tahini Cider Dressing is a real winner, friends. Hearty kale, fruity cranberries, and buttery/crunchy pecans combine with the creamiest (and easiest) dressing for the perfect dinner side. 

You’ll only need around 10 minutes and 7 plant-based ingredients to put it all together. So, let’s get to it!

kale & cranberry salad in large white serving bowl with wooden spoon

INGREDIENTS FOR KALE & CRANBERRY SALAD

ingredients for kale & cranberry salad arranged on marble countertop

Because the ingredients are few, every one plays a key role here:

  • Kale: I prefer to use Lacinato/Dinosaur Kale, but Curly Kale will work well here too. You’ll need 2 medium sized bunches – while that may seem like a lot, it wilts pretty easily once massaged in our dressing!
  • Dried Cranberries: add a nice chew, plus a burst of tart and sweet. If you’re not a fan, pomegranate arils would also be marvelous here.
  • Chopped Pecans: for an extra boost of crunch and buttery flavor! You could also use walnuts, pine nuts, pumpkin seeds, or slivered almonds.
  • Shallot: a little goes a long way, but I love the spicy and fresh bite of thinly sliced shallot in my salads.
  • The Dressing: a simple combination of runny tahini, apple cider (for natural sweetness), lemon juice, and water makes the dreamiest dressing! You may want to make extra, because you’ll want to put this stuff on everything.

HOW TO MAKE THIS SIMPLE KALE SALAD 

hand whisking dressing together in small bowl next to photo of kale tossed in dressing

The key to a great kale salad? Massaging the kale. This helps to break down the tough cell walls of the kale and make it nice and tender – which is great for your jaw and digestive system! 

  1. Whisk the salad ingredients together in a small bowl.
  2. De-stem and roughly chop or tear the kale, then transfer to a large bowl. Pour the dressing (or as much of it as you’d like) over the kale, then massage until the kale becomes tender.
  3. Toss in the cranberries, pecans, and shallot
  4. Serve and enjoy! 

massaged kale cranberry salad in large white bowl with wooden serving spoons

One of the (many) reasons I love this kale salad is that it’s versatile. It’s tangy enough to cut through the heaviness of creamier dishes, but the dressing is still satisfying on its own. Whether you’re serving this salad alongside a hearty soup, roasted vegetables, or even on your holiday table, it’s sure to impress 🙂

If you’re looking for more kale salad recipes, you’ll also love this Everyday Kale Salad, this Curry Kale Salad, and this Winter Kale Salad with Pomegranate Vinaigrette!

kale & cranberry salad in large white serving bowl with wooden spoon

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations!

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Kale & Cranberry Salad with Tahini Cider Dressing

This simple vegan Kale Salad is studded with dried cranberries, crunchy pecans, and shallot. The simple Tahini Cider Dressing takes it to the top!

  • Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
  • Prep Time: 10 Minutes
  • Cook Time: 0 Minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 to 6 1x
  • Category: Side
  • Method: No Bake
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

For the Tahini Cider Dressing: 

  • 1/3 cup (85 g) runny tahini (I like this one)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) apple cider*
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 24 tablespoons of filtered water
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
  • 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste

For the Salad:

  • 2 bunches of lacinato kale, de-stemmed and roughly chopped (or another kale)
  • 1/2 cup (62 g) roughly chopped pecans
  • 1/3 cup (40 g) cranberries
  • 1/2 shallot, thinly sliced
  • Tahini Cider Dressing, above

Instructions

  1. Make the Dressing: Whisk the tahini, cider, lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of water, salt, and black pepper together in a medium sized bowl, until the tahini emulsifies completely. If the dressing is too thick for your liking, whisk in water in 1 tablespoon increments, until it reaches your desired consistency.
  2. Massage the Kale: Add the chopped kale to a large bowl. Pour the dressing (or as much of it as you’d like) over the kale, then massage until the kale becomes tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
  3. Toss: once the kale is tender, add in the cranberries, pecans, and sliced shallot. Mix until well-combined, then season with additional salt and pepper to taste, if necessary.
  4. Serve: Divide the salad onto serving plates and serve as desired; leftovers will keep in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Notes

  • Substitutions: apple cider can be replaced with 1-2 tablespoons of grade A maple syrup, depending on how sweet you like the dressing. Pecans can be swapped with any other nut or seed of choice, such as walnuts or pine nuts. Cranberries can be replaced with fresh pomegranate arils.

Keywords: vegan kale salad, thanksgiving kale salad, kale cranberry salad, cranberry kale salad, healthy vegan kale salad, tahini cider dressing

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About the Author

Hey there, I’m Caitlin! I make easy-to-follow, wholesome, and budget-friendly vegan recipes that are mostly gluten-free and refined sugar-free. I’m also an avid yogi, love the great outdoors, am chocolate-obsessed, and enjoy eating almond butter straight off of the spoon.

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Comments

  1. I would have never thought to combine apple cider and tahini together. What a dream dressing, a new favorite. Thank you!

  2. holy shush, this dressing is a game changer! it’s my first time trying kale, so I knew I came to the right place. can’t wait to hold your cook book in hands!