Mediterranean Kale Salad with Dates & Pine Nuts

Try this Mediterranean kale salad with dates & pine nuts recipe for a tasty, healthy micronutrient bomb! All vegan, oil-free, and delicious.

This recipe is inspired by my favorite restaurant in Los Angeles: Elf Cafe in Echo Park. We’ve tried it for the first time over two years ago. I remember not expecting all that much from a “kale salad”… suffice to say I certainly was wrong. By warming up the dates and roasting the pine nuts in olive oil, they transformed kale salad for me forever.

Here is my interpretation of their amazing recipe.

Ingredients for Mediterranean Kale Salad with Dates

• 6 cups kale, chopped
• 2 tbsp tahini
• 2 tbsp water (as needed)
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 cup dates, pitted, chopped
• 1/2 cup pine nuts
• salt & pepper as desired

How to Make Mediterranean Kale Salad with Dates

1. Prepare the kale by removing thoroughly washing, removing the hard stems, then chopping to desired size.
2. Make the lemon tahini dressing by mixing the tahini, lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Add water to thin out the dressing as needed, depending on the consistency of your tahini.
3. Massage the kale with the dressing for a few minutes.
4. Remove the dates’ pits and chop them.
5. Add olive oil in a small pan over medium heat, then sautee the pine nuts & dates for a few minutes. You can skip the oil and sautee with water as well.
6. Add pine nuts & dates into the rest of the salad and serve immediately. Pomegranate seeds are optional.

looking for other Mediterranean recipes?

Try these other recipes for your next feast:

• vegan fava bean puree with dill
• mediterranean vegetable stew: türlü
• red pepper and walnut spread: acuka

Don’t forget to let me know in the comments if you make this recipe!

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