Kale and Wheat Berry Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing

During my search for the perfect salad for Colleen’s Birthday dinner, I stumbled upon this Raw Kale and Brussels Sprouts Salad. The tahini-maple dressing is what really caught my eye. Oh, and the fact that the recipe instructs you to “massage your kale greens” to make them tender and soft. Not only did it do just that, massaging really enhanced the kale’s color to a deep and vibrant green - just oozing with antioxidants…

 

Kale and Wheat Berry Salad with Tahini-Maple Dressing

I spruced the salad up a little with some cooked wheat berries and used sunflower seeds instead of almonds. I also omitted the cheese just because. This is a hearty salad that could stand-alone as a light dinner but it also pairs nicely with a bowl of soup.

Adapted from Cookie and Kate

Serves ~6

Ingredients

1 bunch of kale, washed and torn into bite sized pieces

2 handfuls of brussels sprouts, finely sliced

2 cups cooked wheat berries

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

Tahini-Maple Dressing

1/3 cup tahini

1/3 cup water (use the juice produced from massaging your greens)

3 TBS white wine vinegar

3 tsp pure maple syrup

Instructions

1. Place a colander over a large bowl and add rinsed kale pieces into colander. Sprinkle with a little sea salt and massage the leaves by lightly scrunching bunches of kale leaves in your hands. Release and repeat until kale is vibrantly green. Place into a large serving bowl and save the green juice in the bowl beneath the colander.

2. Add the sliced brussels sprouts, warm and cooked wheat berries and sunflower seeds to the kale.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together all dressing ingredients. Use the leftover green juice as part of the 1/3 cup of water; it will not be 1/3 cup so add water to it to make 1/3 cup.

4. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to incorporate.

Per 1.5 cup servings: Calories 232, Total Fat 11g, Polyunsaturated Fat 5.5, Monounsaturated Fat 4g, Sodium 72mg, Carbohydrates 32g, Fiber 7g, Protein 9g, Potassium 10%, Vitamin A 143%, Vitamin C 143% + chock-full of B-vitamins and minerals