Chopped Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

It is finally feeling like spring! Trees are flowering, tulips are blooming, and the first shoots are sprouting up out of my vegetable garden. With spring comes lighter menus, fresh ingredients and of course, salads.

I love salads and have a standard mix I go back to time and again, but sometimes I want something different. This is a great chopped salad with a tangy dressing that complements the veggies and kale. It is hearty enough to enjoy leftover, too because the kale and cabbage don't wilt much. Also, one serving has 6.5 grams of protein, 4.7 grams of fiber, 17% of iron, 19% calcium, and is off the charts for vitamins A and C; which is pretty fantastic.

Chopped Salad with Creamy Tahini Dressing

Ingredients:

6 cups of fresh kale (1 medium sized bunch)

1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp apple cider vinegar

2 cups white cabbage, chopped
1 carrot, finely diced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1 small tomato, diced
1 small cucumber, peeled and diced
1 small dill pickle, diced

1/3 cup Vegenaise
1 tbsp tahini
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
3 tbsp plain unsweetened soy milk
dash of garlic powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

Directions:

Wash the kale and remove the leaves from the stems. Tear the kale into bite sized pieces and put in a large mixing bowl. Next add the olive oil, salt and apple cider vinegar then toss to coat the kale leaves. Then massage the kale vigorously with your hands for 5-7 minutes. You want the kale to soften a bit. Once the kale is ready add all the other veggies and the pickle and toss again.

Now make the dressing, by combining the Vegenaise, tahini, nutritional yeast, soy milk, garlic powder, and black pepper in a measuring cup. Whisk to combine the ingredients. Pour over the salad and mix gently to coat the vegetables.

For 4 servings. Nutritional information from caloriecount.about.com.

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 303 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories  250 Calories from Fat  142

% Daily Value*

Total Fat  15.7g 24%

Saturated Fat  1.2g 6%

Trans Fat  0.0g

Cholesterol  0mg 0%

Sodium  594mg 25%

Potassium  872mg 25%

Total Carbohydrates  20.8g 7%

Dietary Fiber  4.7g 19%

Sugars  4.4g

Protein  6.5g

Vitamin A 367% • Vitamin C 233% Calcium 19% • Iron 17%

Nutrition Grade A

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet