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kale salad with beets and avocado on a plate with fork
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The Best Basic Bitch Kale Salad with Beets, Avocado and Tahini Dressing

This simple kale salad may be as basic as it gets, but all elements combined also make it the best kale salad around. Colorful beets, creamy avocado, nutty tahini. It can be made ahead of time, which means you'll be eating it every day of the week. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings 4

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch lacinato kale
  • 1 garlic clove
  • Fine sea salt
  • 2 lemons juiced (about 5 tablespoons total, divided)
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons tahini
  • 2 cups finely shredded radicchio
  • 1 avocado cubed
  • 2 medium roasted beets cut into wedges
  • 1/4 cup cashews roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds for garnish

Instructions

  • Prepare the kale: Remove the thick stem from the center of the kale by carefully tearing away the bottom part of the leaves and then grabbing ahold of the stem. Pull up along the stem. The leaf should come away intact, missing the center when the stem once was. Stack the kale leaves with the largest at the bottom, smallest at the top. Roll the leaves width-wise into a cigar. Turn the roll over so that the opening is touching the cutting board. Thinly slice the cigar – the result will be beautiful ribbons of kale. Add to a large mixing bowl.
  • Make the garlic paste: Mince the garlic on a work surface. Gather into a pile on your cutting board, and sprinkle with sea salt. Keep mincing, rendering the garlic even finer. Now, begin scraping the garlic with your knife. The teeth should be flush with the cutting board. Put pressure on the blades as you draw it over the surface of the garlic forming a paste. 10 or so strokes should do it. Transfer to the bowl with the kale.
  • Marinate the kale: To the bowl, add 3 tablespoons lemon juice, the olive oil, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Toss the kale with your hands until it’s very well coated in the lemon-oil mixture – don’t be afraid to man handle it!
  • Make the tahini: In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together (a fork is fine) the tahini, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. A thick paste will form – culinary magic! Whisk in water, one tablespoon at a time, until the dressing is the consistency of ranch. Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lemon juice as necessary.
  • Assemble the salad: Toss the radicchio with the kale and transfer to a serving dish. Top with the beets, avocado, and cashews. Drizzle with the tahini and garnish with the hemp seeds.