I'll get this out of the way immediately: I'm not a salad person.
When I do eat salad, I have a very high expectation for how awesome it is. The main ingredient can't be lettuce. At that point, maybe it's not a salad anymore, but there's something about straight lettuce that is super unpalatable to me. So unpalatable that not even loads of dressing can save it. A salad has to have variety, bulk, and fun flavors playing with each other on my tongue (because that's a wonderful thought).
In short, when I decide to actually make a salad, I do my very, very best to make it something worth eating again. I'll never be one of those people who chokes down food just because it's "good for me" (I happily eat liver, sardines, etc. because I honestly enjoy them). I thoroughly enjoy veggies and salads are easy enough to prepare, but more often than not I find salads disappointing, so I make something else instead.
Point is, if a recipe isn't worth making again, it's not worth posting on here.
Randomly, I had a superfluous amount of greens in my fridge and thought that a salad might be a good idea. Don't ask me to explain further; I just wanted to make a freaking salad. I'm glad I did. This brussels sprout & kale salad was worth making a second time. Or a third....or more.
You'll notice this salad has tons of nuts and seeds in it. I like it that way - lots of crunch and flavor. I also added the eggs so I could enjoy this as a meal rather than a side salad...not something I'm willing to do often, but this was enjoyable enough that I was totally happy with it as a standalone lunch!
Maybe it's the especially yummy lemon tahini dressing. There are multiple reasons I like this dressing. First off, it's flavorful enough that I don't have to absolutely smother my salad in it (the salad itself helps there). A little goes a long way. Plus, I used Primal Kitchen Mayo to make it. Jarred, store-bought, paleo avocado oil mayo. Seriously! This stuff is brand new - just launched - and I was lucky enough to try it.
I usually just dollop mayo on just about everything. I don't use it in very many recipes because I use it pretty fast this way. It may sound weird, but trust me, mayo tastes pretty dang good on veggies or eggs or life. But this Primal Kitchen Mayo was a little different...it definitely has a zing to it that my homemade paleo mayo doesn't have. And when I whipped up this salad, I wanted a dressing for it that had a lot of zing (sorry, I really can't think of a better word). Using this tangy, creamy mayo as the base was an obvious choice!
Of course, you can use homemade mayo as well, but it might not have the same zing to it that it would with Primal Kitchen Mayo!
Fun tip: the dressing would also make an excellent dip for plantain fries or chicken strips!
Print
Chopped Brussels Sprout & Kale Salad with Lemon Tahini Dressing
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 3-4 servings 1x
Ingredients
Salad
- 1 ½ c brussels sprouts, shredded
- 3 c kale, thinly chopped
- ⅓ c sunflower seeds, toasted
- ⅓ c pecans, roughly chopped
- ⅓ c pepitas
- 3 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
Dressing:
- ¼ c Primal Kitchens Mayo or homemade mayo
- ¼ c lemon juice
- 2 Tb tahini
- 1 Tb chia seeds (optional)
Instructions
- For the dressing, combine the mayo, lemon juice, and tahini in a small bowl. If reserving some of the dressing for other things, save like this in the fridge. Add the chia seeds to the dressing just before use.
- Shred the brussels sprouts using a food processor, Vitamix, or mandoline. Roughly chop the kale into small pieces. Combine the brussels sprouts and kale in a large bowl.
- Add the sunflower seeds, pecans, and pepitas. Layer the egg slices on top.
- Drizzle on dressing, mix, and enjoy!
*Disclaimer - I received a jar of Primal Kitchen Mayo free of charge. I was not asked to share my opinion about it; I'm doing that on my own. Of course, my opinions are my own!
Leave a Reply