Hipsters Love This

As I've noted before, I'm not the kind of vegan who exclusively worships at the altar of kale. I prefer a more polytheistic approach, with plenty of idol worship to the demi-gods of brownies and mac n' cheez thrown in for good measure. That said, there's something about this Garlicky Kale salad that I just can't get enough it!

I went to DC Veg Fest this past weekend, and among the samples of nut cheeses, tofu sausages, and gluten-free cupcakes (laugh all you want, it was goddamn awesome), the Whole Foods tent was doing a roaring trade passing out little cups of this crunchy salad with its creamy, tart dressing. I kid you not, K and I went home and recreated it that very evening.

The trick to this recipe is to let the kale marinate in the dressing before you serve it. This wilts the leaves while also letting the ingredients of the dressing do their chemistry magic and mellow out a bit.

Hush, Liz. Eat your kale.

Garlicky Kale
adapted from Eating Bird Food

Serves 4

4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1/2 cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon tahini
2 tablespoons lemon juice (this was one big lemon for me)
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
5 cups kale
2 tablespoons sesame seeds (optional, but the sesame seeds on sesame paste adds a nice Inception element to your salad)

Dump all the ingredients except for the kale into a blender, then go to town with that pulse button. You'll only need a couple of rounds to get everything nicely mixed up - taste test and add whatever your little heart desires (more tahini if it's too sour, more lemon if it's too bitter).

A study in beige.

Throw your kale into a large bowl and pour the dressing over it. Use salad tongs to toss it all together so that your leafy greens get completely coated in the dressing, then put the whole bowl in the fridge while you make the rest of your meal.

I can see the vitamins!

Right before serving, sprinkle the sesame seeds over your salad. Buen provecho!