Garlicky Kale Salad (Inspired by Whole Foods)
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Last updated on Oct 12, 2023
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This garlicky kale salad is the best kale salad ever and so easy to whip up. The zesty tahini dressing is absolutely delicious and makes this recipe taste JUST like the Whole Foods garlicky kale.
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m semi-addicted to the Whole Foods salad bar. Granted, my addiction may have subsided a tad since I haven’t been in the store since March, but I still vividly remember my favorites!
There are so that I often end up filling my container to the brim with different veggies, beans and salads. Sure, I end up paying an arm and a leg for my meal, but it’s totally worth it. 😉
Whole Foods Salad Bar Recreations
Of course, I have some favorite items on the bar — one being the Cracklin’ Cauliflower, which I’ve already recreated and the second is the garlicky kale salad. After reading the ingredient list for the garlicky kale salad at the bar (Yep, here’s a little secret – all items on the bar have an ingredient list posted!) I decided to make my own variation at home. I knew the ingredients, but didn’t know the exact measurements so it took a little trial and error. I’ve made it several times now and I have to say, it’s pretty spot on!
Ingredients Needed for This Kale Salad
- kale
- tahini
- apple cider vinegar (or water)
- lemon juice
- Bragg’s liquid aminos (tamari or soy sauce will work)
- nutritional yeast
- garlic
Zesty Tahini Dressing
The dressing I use for the garlicky kale salad is my zesty tahini dressing. It’s made with tahini, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, tamari, nutritional yeast and garlic. I love the zesty flavor from the garlic and apple cider vinegar and the fact that it’s oil-free.
It’s definitely one of my favorite dressings ever! You’ll love it on this kale salad, but you’ll likely want to use it for other salads too. I highly recommend making a double batch!
How to Serve this Kale Salad
This garlicky kale salad is a great side option but I also love it as a base to other salads! My trick is using this as a base and then layering leftovers on top… you can’t go wrong with leftover veggies + protein on this tasty salad base!
More Kale Salad Recipes to Try
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
- Massaged Kale Salad
- Kale & Cabbage Pad Thai Salad
- Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad
- Butternut Squash Kale Salad
- Sweet Potato Kale and Quinoa Salad
- Detox Salad
- Kale Salad with Peanut Dressing
- Easy Kale Salad
More Healthy Salad Dressing Ideas
- Mexican Goddess Dressing
- Maple Dressing
- Avocado Ranch Dressing
- Lemon Vinaigrette
- Turmeric Tahini Dressing
- Avocado Caesar Dressing
- Chili Almond Dressing
- Zesty Tahini
- Healthy Caesar Dressing
Be sure to check out my healthy salad dressings as well as my salad recipes.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Garlicky Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch raw kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
- 2 Tablespoons tahini
- 2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar, or water
- 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 Tablespoons Bragg’s liquid aminos, tamari or soy sauce will work
- 4 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons 1-2 cloves minced garlic
Instructions
- Break or cut kale into bite size pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Puree all ingredients except kale in a blender or food processor to blend the dressing.
- Pour dressing over kale and massage into the kale with your hands until all pieces of kale are coated.
- Let the salad sit in the fridge for an hour or so to marinate. You can skip this step if you need to eat right away, but allowing some time to marinate will wilt the kale a bit and make it a little more palatable – particularly for those who are skeptical of eating raw kale.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
One of my favorite salads from Whole Foods and who knew it would be so easy to recreate! Spot on, delicious recipe!
Yay! So glad you loved this salad, Ryan. Thanks for making it and for coming back to leave a review. I so appreciate it.
Super healthy! Love the salad, but I try not to make it when other people are at my house. Why? The after-effect: garlic breath 🙂 Even after brushing, flossing, and rinsing, it persists the next day. Do you think using garlic powder would tone down the garlic breath issue? Does anyone else worry with this?
Hi Susan! This comment made me laugh out loud, such a great point. But honestly, I wouldn’t change much about this recipe because the fresh garlic really makes this salad shine.
So good, I have already loved the dressing for a long time. I threw some purple cabbage and red onion in and it looks so pretty! My new favorite salad, thank you!
WOO! Sounds amazing, Meg. I am so glad you found this salad recipe and are loving it. Thank you for sharing your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
Just made this and it was exactly what I was wishing for ! So delicious thank you!
Ah YAY! This is so great to hear, Lisa. I am glad you gave this salad a try and it turned out amazing for you. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your review + star rating, it means so much to me!
This was spot on! I made it and it tasted exactly like it should. Thank you for sharing! Yum!
Ah yay! I am so glad you are loving this salad and it turned out great for you, Jess. Thanks for your review & star rating, I so appreciate it!
This is not as good as Whole Foods Salad. There was some tiny amount of cheese in it. Celery was in it. But this isn’t the fabulous tasting Whole Foods garlicky kale and I even roasted garlic and it didn’t improve it. All the copy cat recipes are just like yours. Whole Foods doesn’t give a recipe for this salad.
I think you are missing something. The origin salad was in WF “raw” bar. Maybe you are thinking of a different salad–this is an excellent dupe of the raw salad!
Aww thank you so much, B! Glad you’re loving this one!
Years later and I’m still making this.
Thank you!!
Aw yay! This means so much to me, glad you’re loving this recipe! Thank you for your review & star rating, I really appreciate it!
Delicious.
Yay! Thank you so much, Delaine. I am glad you are enjoying this recipe. I appreciate your review & star rating, it means so much to me!