This kale and white bean salad is the absolute dream lunch! It combines chewy kale with white beans, crunchy seeds, avocado and the BEST tahini-mustard-lemon dressing. Super simple salad recipe perfect for the fall and that's packed with flavors and nutrition. Fully vegan and gluten-free.
You will LOVE this ultra-easy kale and white bean salad! This is an Erewhon-style salad recipe, but made without oil. There is also a twist on the typical dressing to make it creamy, rich and wholesome, so good!
It combines chewy kale with hearth healthy white beans, omega-3 packed avocado and nutrient-dense seeds that are rich in healthy fats and plant-based protein, such as hemp seeds, sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds.
This salad packs a whole lot of nutrition, but also a ton of flavors, thanks to the creamy tahini-mustard-lemon dressing. It comes together in under 20 minutes and stays good in the fridge for 2-3 days, making it a great salad you can meal-prep ahead for nutritious lunches.
And the tahini dressing makes this recipe truly irresistible! It tastes similar to a tahini Caesar sauce, but even easier to whip up, and the creamy vinaigrette pairs perfectly with hearty greens like kale. This salad is a total game-changer if you are not a fan of salads in general!
Hope you give it a try and let me know how it turned out! ❤️
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❤️ Why you will love this recipe
- Fast and simple vibrant salad recipe everyone will love
- Holds well in the fridge for 2 days (great for meal prep!)
- Healthy and loaded with antioxidants, fiber, iron, omega-3 healthy fats and vitamins
- Rich in plant-based protein
- Makes for a delicious side salad, but also is hearty enough to enjoy as a full meal
- Creamy salad with a good crunch from the seeds
- Vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free and nut-free
🗒 Ingredient list (+ substitutions)
- Kale: I love Lacinato kale (Dino kale), but curly green or red kale works too! Totally depends on what's available and what you prefer.
- White Beans: using canned beans makes this recipe so convenient, fast and easy. I used cannellini beans, but navy beans, butter beans or great Northern beans are all great choices. I would avoid chickpeas if you can, although would also work in a pinch.
- Seeds: the classic salad from Erewhon includes pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds for a nice crunch and bonus nutrition, but you can use any seeds that you like or have, like sesame seeds.
- Tahini: different brands of tahini offer different qualities. I like the tahini from the brand 365, which is super smooth in flavor and pourable, perfect for making amazing sauces and dressings. Some tahini brands are closer to peanut butter in texture and can also be a little bitter. If this is what you have, then add a little more water to reach the desired consistency and also some more sweetener to balance the bitterness.
⭐️ Full list of ingredients with quantities down below in the recipe card!
📝 Variations
- Grain: you can add some cooked quinoa or brown rice to make the salad even heartier and full of chewy texture.
- Herbs: if you have some fresh parsley, dill or basil, then add a small handful!
- Lower in fat: swap some of the tahini for dairy-free yogurt to cut the fat if necessary.
- Veggie-packed: you can fill up the salad with chopped broccoli, halved cherry tomatoes, bell peppers or shredded carrots.
- More crunch: this salad would be lovely with the addition of crunchy garlic croutons!
🍽How to make it
Prepare the kale
Clean and pat dry the kale, then remove the tender leaves from the stem (discard the stems). Chop the leafy green into bite-size and transfer to a large mixing bowl.
Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt over the kale and use your hands and fingers to "massage" the kale until softer and darker (about a minute. Set the kale aside.
Make the dressing
In a medium bowl, add the tahini, mustard, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice and salt. Whisk to combine and then add enough cold water to reach the desired consistency (1 tablespoon at a time, about 2-3 tablespoon total). Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt.
Assemble and serve
To the bowl with the kale, add the white beans, diced avocado, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds and hemp seeds. Then, drizzle the dressing (start with about ¾ of the amount of the sauce) and stir to combine.
Serve with a sprinkle of hemp seeds and nutritional yeast and some lemon wedges. Enjoy!
⭐️ Full recipe below in the recipe card!
💡Helpful tips
- Don't skip on massaging the kale with lemon + salt! This helps tenderize the leaves by breaking their rough fiber, which makes them more pleasant and easier to eat.
- For a quicker salad, you can use pre-cleaned and pre-chopped kale from the grocery stores.
🍴Serving suggestions
We love this salad recipe as is for a filling yet light lunch, but you can also use it in:
- Power bowls topped with tofu and roasted veggies
- In sandwiches, especially stuffed in pita pockets
- Used to stuff roasted halved acorn squash, the perfect fall appetizer or meal!
🌱More vegan green salad recipes to try
I hope you like this kale white bean salad recipe as much as we do! If you try it, please leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it was. Your feedback is so helpful!
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📖 Recipe
Kale and White Bean Salad with Avocado and Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad
- 1 bunch kale (about 1 pound) - chopped
- 15 oz white beans - rinsed and drained
- 1 avocado - diced
- ¼ cup pumpkin seeds
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- 2 tbsp hemp seeds
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of sea salt
For the tahini, mustard and lemon dressing
- ⅓ cup tahini - olive oil works too
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 3-4 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cloves of garlic - crushed
- 1-2 tbsp maple syrup
- salt - to taste
- 1-2 tbsp cold water - or enough for desired consistency
Instructions
- Clean and pat dry the kale, then remove the tender leaves from the stems (discard the stems). Chop the leaves in bite size and transfer to a large bowl.
- Add 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a generous pinch of salt over the kale and then, use your hands and fingers to "massage" the kale until softened and the leaves turn darker. Set aside.
- In a medium bowl, add the tahini, mustard, lemon juice, garlic, maple syrup and a pinch of salt. Whisk to combine and then, add enough cold water (one tablespoon at a time) to reach the desired consistency (2-3 tablespoons). Taste and adjust lemon juice and salt to your preference.
- To the bowl with the kale, add the white beans, avocado, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds and hemp seeds, then drizzle the tahini sauce over (you can start with less and add more as needed). Stir to combine, then serve!
Video
Notes
- This is a great salad recipe to meal prep ahead as it holds well in the fridge in an airtight container for 2-3 days.
- You can easily add more to this salad and make it your own, such as roasted tofu, cherry tomatoes, capers, fresh herbs or chopped broccoli.
- Nutrition: please note that the nutritional information is an estimate per serving provided for informational purposes only (calculated by software) and accuracy is not guaranteed. Consult with your healthcare provider or a registered dietitian if you need precise nutrition calculations for health reasons.
Great salad with tons of flavor. My entire family loved it!