Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

This Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing is a salad recipe that you’ll genuinely crave, featuring roasted carrots and Japanese sweet potato, steamed lentils, crunchy sesame honey cashews and a creamy, miso tahini dressing. It’s loaded with fiber, sweet and salty flavor, and a variety of textures, making it the perfect gluten free and vegan salad to enjoy for lunch or dinner.

I can’t begin to explain my obsession with tahini-based dressings. I don’t feel like they get the hype that they deserve! And this Miso Tahini Dressing is no different. The asian-inspired flavors married with the creaminess of the tahini is just to die for. Then, when you pair it with roasted Japanese sweet potato and carrots, steamed lentils and some nuts for crunch…it turns into a salad that checks all my boxes. This will for sure be a weekly staple at our house!

Why You’ll Love this Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

• It’s the perfect balance of sweet & salty!
• It’s loaded with fiber from the kale, roasted veggies and lentils.
• This Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing is gluten free and vegan friendly.
• It’s a unique way to enjoy kale!
• This salad recipe is simple and is ready in about 30 minutes.
• The Miso Tahini Dressing is creamy and totally addicting.

What You Need to Make this Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

• Japanese Sweet Potato: This sweet potato variety has a reddish-purple skin and a pale yellow/white flesh. It has a slightly different texture than normal sweet potatoes but the taste is pretty similar. I like using it in this recipe to give some color contrast with the carrots, but of course you can use normal sweet potato instead.
• Carrots: Large carrots cut on the bias (at an angle) in thick slices will get roasted along with the Japanese sweet potato.
• Olive Oil: For roasting the veggies.
• Maple Syrup or Honey: For the roasted veggies and to sweeten up the miso tahini dressing.
• Salt, Pepper, Garlic Powder: Season the roasted veggies with these, to taste!
• Tahini: Tahini is ground sesame seeds and it is very common in Middle Eastern cooking. It’s creamy texture and somewhat neutral flavor make it the perfect base for a salad dressing. The quality matters here! I would avoid Trader Joe’s tahini (it’s rather bitter & gritty) and instead get the brand Soom.
• White Miso Paste: Miso, a classic Japanese ingredient, is made from fermented rice and soybeans. The taste is kinda hard to describe until you try it yourself but it’s definitely salty and earthy. Don’t be afraid of it!
• Coconut Aminos: This soy sauce alternative is gluten free and much sweeter. It’s sold at most stores, including Trader Joe’s for a great price. You can try substituting soy sauce or tamari instead, but the dressing will likely need more maple syrup.
• Rice Vinegar: For some acidity in the dressing.
• Sesame Oil: A splash of sesame oil in the dressing really adds a depth of flavor, but it’s optional if you don’t have it on hand!
• Garlic
• Ginger: This is key to the dressing! I strongly suggest using fresh grated ginger instead of dried.
• Kale: For this recipe, I used curly kale but really any variety will work!
• Cooked Lentils: Lentils are part of the legume family and are high in fiber. They are a great plant-based protein option to keep this recipe vegan! I used the fully cooked steamed lentils that are sold at Trader Joe’s in the produce section.
• Sesame Honey Cashews: This is another Trader Joe’s product that I just discovered and WOW they’re addicting. They give this salad the perfect crunch! Please note that they do contain dairy so if you need to avoid that for any reason, consider using an alternative like sesame sticks.

How To Make this Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

This recipe is quite easy and quick! Just roast the veggies, make the dressing and toss it all together. The full instructions are listed below.

Roast the Veggies:

Start by cubing the sweet potato and cutting the carrots at an angle. I don’t peel mine but you could! Then, add them to a large bowl and toss with olive oil, maple syrup or honey, salt and garlic powder. Spread out evenly on a parchment-lined baking sheet, making sure nothing is overlapping. Transfer to the oven and bake at 425F for about 20 minutes, or until fork tender and slightly golden. Let it cool on the baking sheet for a bit prior to adding to the salad so that the kale doesn’t wilt and get soggy.

Make the Miso Tahini Dressing:

While the veggies are roasting, make the miso tahini dressing by adding all ingredients to a small bowl or jar. Then, stir or shake until combined and smooth. Add water as needed to thin out the consistency – I find 2-3 tbsp to be the right amount.

Assemble the Kale Salad:

Finally, pour about 2/3 of the miso tahini dressing over the chopped kale. Massage with your hands for several minutes until the texture has softened a bit, and it’s fully coated in the dressing. Then, add the cooled roasted veggies, lentils, sesame honey cashews and remaining miso tahini dressing. Toss, plate and enjoy!

What is Tahini?

Tahini is one of my absolute favorite ingredients to work with. It’s ground sesame seeds (basically sesame seed butter) and is commonly used in Middle Eastern cooking. You may recognize it as a main ingredient in hummus. It’s taste is somewhat neutral, with a creamy texture and slight earthiness.

Lower quality tahini brands will taste more bitter and the texture is often grittier, so I recommend staying away from those ones. This is one of the few times that I do NOT recommend getting an ingredient from Trader Joe’s! Instead, pick up a jar of my favorite brand – Soom.

If you can’t find tahini or have an allergy, I would recommend trying cashew butter as a substitute in the dressing.

What is Miso?

Miso is a Japanese ingredient made from fermented rice and soybeans. It’s a thick paste and can vary in color based on the variety. The length of time that it’s fermented for determines what variety it is. For this recipe, we’re using white miso which is fermented for the least amount of time and therefore has the most mild flavor. The taste is salty and earthy, but don’t be scared away by it! It’s sold at most grocery stores (usually in the produce area where tofu is) and I believe Trader Joe’s recently started carrying it as well.

What Should I Serve Alongside this Salad?

Well this Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing is great all on it’s own! But if you’re wanting to up the protein and make it more of a full meal, I have a few suggestions. If you’re vegan/vegetarian, I would recommend some crispy air-fried tofu. I don’t necessarily have a recipe for this, but usually I press it for about 20 minutes to get excess moisture out, then cut into small cubes and toss with oil, seasonings and arrowroot starch (this is the KEY to getting it crispy). Then, air fry at 400F until crispy, which usually takes about 15-20 minutes.

Another idea for my non-vegans is to pair this kale salad with some salmon! To keep with the miso theme, try making my miso butter salmon. It’s super simple and delicious.

Can I Meal Prep This Salad?

Truthfully, I haven’t tried meal prepping it yet but when I made this for Kyle and I, we did have 1-2 servings leftover that I stored in an airtight tupperware container. Given that kale is a sturdy lettuce, it doesn’t get soggy even after sitting in the dressing for a few days. Of course, it doesn’t taste quite as good as it does when eaten fresh, but it works if need be!

Find the full recipe below. As always, please let me know if you tried it by commenting below or tagging me on Instagram, @munchinwithmaddie_.

Looking for more Salad Recipes?

• Pesto Caesar Kale Salad with Roasted Delicata Squash
• Bok Choy Salad with Sesame Ginger Dressing
• Chickpea & Broccolini Salad
• Bacon Apple Cheddar Salad

5 from 1 vote

Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing

This Kale Salad with Miso Tahini Dressing is a salad recipe that you'll genuinely crave, featuring roasted carrots and Japanese sweet potato, steamed lentils, crunchy sesame honey cashews and a creamy, miso tahini dressing. It's loaded with fiber, sweet and salty flavor, and a variety of textures, making it the perfect gluten free and vegan salad to enjoy for lunch or dinner.

Servings 4 people

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 20 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Equipment

• knife
• cutting board
• 2 large bowls
• baking sheet
• parchment paper
• small bowl or jar
• spoon
• salad tongs

Ingredients

For the Roasted Veggies:

• 1 lb Japanese sweet potato cubed (can sub normal sweet potato)*
• ½ lb carrots washed & cut diagonally into thick slices*
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey
• kosher salt to taste
• garlic powder to taste

For the Miso Tahini Dressing:

• ¼ cup tahini (I recommend Soom)
• 1 tbsp white miso paste
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ½ tbsp maple syrup or honey
• 1 tsp sesame oil (optional)
• 1-2 small cloves of garlic minced
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 2-3 tbsp water as needed, to thin

For the Kale Salad:

• 1 bunch kale stems removed & chopped (about 7oz measured after stems removed)
• 1 cup fully cooked lentils **
• ½ cup sesame honey cashews ***

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients listed under "For the Roasted Veggies." Toss until the veggies are coated. Then, spread out onto the prepared baking sheet, making sure that nothing is overlapping. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until everything is fork tender. Let cool for several minutes.
• In a small bowl or jar, add all of the Miso Tahini Dressing ingredients and stir until smooth. Adjust the amount of water if the dressing seems too thick.
• In a large salad bowl, add the chopped kale and pour about ⅔ of the dressing over top. Massage with your hands.
• Then, add the lentils, cooled roasted veggies, sesame honey cashews and remaining miso tahini dressing. Toss until combined.

Notes

*NOTE: I chose not to peel my sweet potato or carrots and instead just washed them thoroughly prior to chopping. Feel free to peel or not peel, it’s up to you!

**NOTE: You can find these at Trader Joe’s in the produce section. 

***NOTE: You can also find these at Trader Joe’s! They’re in the nut section. However, please note that they do contain dairy so the addition of these makes this recipe not friendly for those with dairy allergies and/or who are vegan. As an alternate option, consider adding sesame sticks (a gluten-containing product), which are also sold at Trader Joe’s and many other grocery stores.

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Side Dish

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegan, Vegetarian

Keyword: Asian Salad, carrots, Japanese Sweet Potato, Kale, Lentils, Miso, Salad, Tahini

Did you make this recipe?

Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and tag @munchinwithmaddie_ on Instagram and/or hashtag it #munchinwithmaddie.