Kale Salad Recipe With Walnuts, Butter Beans, And Maple Tahini Dressing

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Kale salad is one of those dishes that always has tons of flavor and always fills you up with tons of fiber. It can be lunch or dinner, and this one is perfect for this season.

If you need a delicious and filling salad this season, look no further than this kale salad with walnuts, butter beans, and maple tahini dressing. It’s crisp, and fresh, and offers tons of good-for-you nutrition that will keep you full for hours.

Side view of a white bowl filled with Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans.

FAQs

Can I Use A Different Type Of Bean Instead Of Butter Beans?

Yes, you can. Any white bean will work well with this recipe. You can even use a combination of white beans you prefer.

How Do I Prepare Pickled Onions For This Recipe?

While you can easily make them at home (I have a recipe for them coming soon), you can also buy them at most grocery stores. Usually in the same aisle as the pickles.

What Can I Substitute For Walnuts If I Have A Nut Allergy?

Absolutely! Good substitutes would be almonds, cashews, or any nut you prefer. If you can’t have nuts at all, try substituting with roasted chickpeas for a bit of crunch.

Is There An Alternative To Red Wine Vinegar For The Dressing?

Any red vinegar will work, but I would avoid balsamic. It’s not quite delicate enough in flavor for this salad.

Can I Make This Salad Ahead Of Time And Store It?

You sure can! You can make it up to three days in advance. Four if you keep the salad and the dressing separate.

Overhead view of a white bowl filled with Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans.

What Is The Best Way To Chop Kale For A Salad?

Always remove the leafy green parts from the stems and discard the stems or compost them. Aside from that, you can roll the leaves up and slice them into long, thin pieces, or you can simply tear the leaves with your hands for bigger pieces. For this salad, I recommend the roll-and-slice method.

Can I Use A Different Leafy Green Instead Of Kale?

You can, although I recommend heartier leafy greens over more delicate ones. But the choice is yours. Try Swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, spinach, or beet greens.

Can I Make This Ahead?

You can. But store the beans and dressing separately from the salad. Everything will last longer that way. If stored separately, you can make this up to two or three days ahead.

How Can I Make The Dressing Thicker Or Thinner?

You can thicken it by mixing in more tahini, or you can thin it out with small amounts of water at a time, whisking between each addition.

What Is The Best Way To Cook Quinoa For This Salad?

It’s best to follow package directions for preparing your quinoa. the only real tip I can give you is to make sure you rinse the quinoa thoroughly before cooking it. You can also cook it in some vegetable broth to add a bit more flavor.

Can I Add Other Vegetables Or Ingredients To This Salad?

Yes, you can add any vegetable you think you would enjoy.

A Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans in a white bowl. A small bowl of pickled onions sits to the side.

About The Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

Kale – The kale I used here was just regular, green kale. But you can use red kale or lacinato kale too. Use whatever kale you prefer.

Canned butter beans – Make sure there is no added sugar.

Uncooked quinoa – This is measured dry, but make sure to rinse it well before you cook it. It will foam up at first, and with time, all the foam will rinse away.

Shallot – Use both halves of the bulb.

Pickled onions – See note above. You can make your own or use store-bought.

Walnuts – I recommend using raw walnuts, but you can use whatever type you prefer.

Extra virgin olive oil – Or any oil you prefer.

Garlic granules – Or garlic powder.

Dressing Ingredients

Tahini – Just plain tahini with no additional flavoring.

Maple syrup – Use the real stuff. Not pancake syrup.

Red wine vinegar 

Water – Use as needed for consistency.

How To Make Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans

Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans Recipe ingredients in individual bowls on a white surface.

Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions and prep the remaining ingredients as indicated in the recipe below.

Closeup of butter beans in a skillet.

Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the beans and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the diced shallots and garlic powder and cook for another minute. 

Tahini dressing in a small, white bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar until combined. The dressing should be slightly thick; add a touch of water to achieve your desired consistency.

Overhead view of a white bowl filled with Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans.

Create a base with a bed of kale. Top with the cooked quinoa, bean, and walnut mixture and pickled onions. Drizzle the salad with the maple tahini dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Storage

If possible, store the salad, dressing, and beans separately for up to four days in the fridge. If the salad is already mixed, store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

More Kale Salad Recipes

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Side view of a white bowl filled with Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans.

Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans

Deliciously crisp and filling salad that is perfect for lunch or dinner.
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Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 686kcal

Ingredients

Salad Ingredients

  • 4 cups chopped kale (stems removed)
  • 15 oz. can butter beans (drained and rinsed. No sugar added.)
  • ½ cup uncooked quinoa (cooked to package directions)
  • 1 medium shallot (minced)
  • ¼ cup pickled onions (thinly sliced)
  • ½ cup walnuts (chopped)
  • 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tsp. garlic granules (or garlic powder)

Dressing Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp. tahini
  • 1 tbsp. maple syrup
  • ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar
  • water (as needed, if needed)

Instructions

  • Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions and prep the remaining ingredients as indicated.
    ½ cup uncooked quinoa
    Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans Recipe ingredients in individual bowls on a white surface.
  • Heat a saucepan over medium heat and add the olive oil. Once warm, add the beans and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the diced shallots and garlic powder and cook for another minute.
    15 oz. can butter beans, 1 medium shallot, 1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, 1 tsp. garlic granules
    Closeup of butter beans in a skillet.
  • In a small bowl, whisk together the tahini, maple syrup, and red wine vinegar until combined. The dressing should be slightly thick; add a touch of water to achieve your desired consistency.
    1 tbsp. tahini, 1 tbsp. maple syrup, ½ tbsp. red wine vinegar, water
    Tahini dressing in a small, white bowl.
  • Create a base with a bed of kale. Top with the cooked quinoa, beans, walnuts, and pickled onions. Drizzle the salad with the maple tahini dressing. Serve immediately and enjoy!
    4 cups chopped kale, ¼ cup pickled onions, ½ cup walnuts
    Overhead view of a white bowl filled with Kale Salad With Walnuts And Butter Beans.

Notes

Please note that the nutrition data given here is a ballpark figure. Exact data is not possible.

Nutrition

Serving: 0.5the recipe | Calories: 686kcal | Carbohydrates: 78g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 34g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 18g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 747mg | Potassium: 1129mg | Fiber: 18g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 4214IU | Vitamin C: 42mg | Calcium: 232mg | Iron: 8mg

Author: Tiffany McCauley

Title: Food and Travel Journalist

Expertise: Food, cooking, travel

Bio:

Tiffany McCauley is a nationally syndicated journalist and an award-winning cookbook author and food blogger. She has been featured on MSN, Huffington Post, Country Living Magazine, HealthLine, Redbook, and many more. Her food specialty is healthy comfort food recipes.

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