I’ve been bursting to share this recipe with you all, but haven’t found the right words to describe this salad. So many come to mind: beautiful, vibrant, fresh, flavorful. Not to mention that it’s raw, vegan, packed with phytonutrients and about as healthy as it gets. None of those words or phrases do this salad justice.
I don’t even know what to call it. Sesame ginger kale salad? A red pepper, avocado and sesame kale salad? With cilantro and sesame? Basically, it’s an Asian-inspired salad composed of massaged raw kale that is tossed with homemade red pepper ginger dressing. I topped it with avocado, sesame seeds, cilantro, carrots and purple cabbage. You could go without the carrots and cabbage, but they happened to be in my fridge at the time and look awfully pretty together.
Kale, which is a so-called “power food” and member of the cabbage family, makes this salad particularly substantial. Kale is a nutrient-dense green full of vitamins A, B6, C and K (source). I could go on about the vitamins in this salad, but I’d probably end up spouting off letters A to Z. And frankly, you don’t need to know about them to enjoy this salad. It is a mighty tasty salad that leaves you feeling like you’re glowing from the inside. I mean it: your belly will thank you afterward.
Asian Raw Kale Salad
- Author: Cookie and Kate
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 1 medium salad 1x
- Category: Salad
★★★★★
4.9 from 15 reviews
A beautiful raw kale salad tossed in a zippy red pepper and ginger dressing. Note that this recipe yields enough dressing for four medium-sized salads. The salad ingredients yield one medium-sized salad, so multiply by up to four if you’re feeding friends or family.
Scale
Ingredients
Raw Red Pepper and Ginger Salad Dressing
- ½ cup olive oil
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped into big pieces
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 lime, juiced
- 2 tablespoons agave nectar
- ¾ inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- totally optional: ¼ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, which isn’t raw, but tastes good!
Salad
- 5 big stalks of kale
- Sea salt
- Raw red pepper and ginger salad dressing (see recipe above)
- ½ avocado, cubed
- 1 carrot, peeled and sliced into strips with a vegetable peeler
- 3 tablespoons purple cabbage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon red onion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- First you have to make the dressing. Simply blend all dressing ingredients thoroughly in a food processor or blender.
- Pull the kale leaves off from the tough stem, and break into small, bite sized pieces. Sprinkle with sea salt and massage the leaves for a couple of minutes, meaning that you should scrunch handfuls of kale in your hands, release, repeat. The kale will become darker in color and more fragrant. This step improves the taste of raw kale.
- Throw the kale into a bowl, drizzle in the salad dressing (don’t skimp), and toss thoroughly.
- Add the avocado, carrots, cabbage and red onion.
- Top with cilantro and a big sprinkle of sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- This dressing keeps well for about four days in the fridge. I actually think it tastes better after refrigerating overnight. The dressed salad should keep well for a couple of days in the refrigerator, covered. For best results, top with avocado just before serving.
▸ Nutrition Information
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below and share a picture on Instagram with the hashtag #cookieandkate.
P.s. If you enjoy this salad, you’ll also love my raw kale, apple & avocado salad.
