Kale Salad with Spicy Peanut Dressing
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Published Aug 19, 2015, Updated Oct 11, 2021
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Tender kale with a rich and spicy peanut dressing and chopped red onion! This salad is packed with umami flavor and a fabulous side dish for almost any meal.
Ever since visiting M Café in Los Angeles over five years ago I have been obsessed. <— Why does California have all the delicious, healthy restaurants?!? I’m having withdrawals… I need to plan another visit!
I loved everything I tried at M Café but was particularly keen on their kale salad with spicy peanut dressing. The peanut dressing they use is seriously amazing! After returning home from LA I was determined to recreate the salad. I found out the ingredients via a cooking video (which has since been taken down).
Anyhow, just recently I remade the salad and was quickly reminded how much I love it! I updated the recipe a bit, took new photos and figured I would re-share it for all my new readers or those who may have missed it the first time around.
Peanut Sauce + Kale = Best Combo Ever!
If you love peanut sauce and are looking for a new kale salad to try, look no further. You will adore this salad!
Blanching the kale tenderizes the leaves which makes the kale easier to chew and digest. The spicy peanut dressing with fresh ginger and garlic gives the salad an umami-rich flavor.
Kale Salad with a Spicy Peanut Dressing
Ingredients
- 3-4 large bunches kale
- 1/2 red onion, chopped
Spicy Peanut Dressing
- 1 cup natural peanut butter
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- ¾-1 Tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
- ¼ cup rice vinegar
- ¼ cup tamari
- ¼ cup brown rice syrup , or honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2-3 ounces hot water, plus more if needed
Instructions
- Wash kale well. Remove large, tough stems and cut or break large leaves into pieces.
- Blanch in boiling water for about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the kale with a slotted spoon to a bowl full of ice water to cool it immediately.
- Drain well and squeeze out all the liquid with your hands.
- Place the dressing ingredients (except the hot water) into a high-powered blender and blend until the mixture becomes smooth. Add water to thin sauce.
- Drizzle about half the dressing on top of the kale and mix the two together. Add more dressing until kale looks coated. You’ll probably have dressing leftover (read notes for ideas of what to do with it).
- Garnish kale salad with chopped red onions and serve.
Notes
- Store the leftover dressing in the fridge and reuse it later. I’ve added water and re-blended it to use on regular salads or as a veggie sauce. It works nicely on other vegetables besides kale and it will keep for 2-3 weeks in the fridge.
- Inspired by M Café.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Kale Salads to Try:
- Garlicky 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
This sounds incredible! When making a salad, it’s really all about the dressing when get real about it. And this dressing sounds amazing. I’ve never heard of blanching kale leaves before eating them in salad form, but I’d imagine that would make for a very tender and tasty bowl. Thanks for the tip and delicious sounding recipe!
xx Sydney
I’m craving a visit to California too! This salad sounds incredible!
Thanks lady!
I can’t wait to try this. We have a local restaurant that has a kale salad with peanut dressing and it is one of my favorites! I’ve been trying to recreate it for sometime now. This dressing might be it.
F.Y.I. the salad at the restaurant also has lemon zest, dried cherries, and pumpkin seeds but the rest sounds very similar.
Yum! I bet dried cherries and pumpkin seeds would be great additions.
This sounds INCREDIBLE!! Pinned and can’t wait to try it. 🙂
This looks so delicious! I am with you on the California food. It’s all so delicious I can’t try everything fast enough!
I know!! I would be in seventh heaven if I lived there.
I love a kale salad with ample dressing, this little diddy looks PERFECT, xx!
Thanks lady!
I love peanut sauce on anything! This salad looks so easy, delicious, and flavorful! It reminds me of the new Kale salad at Chikfila! (Yes, guilty! What can I say the kids love it!) But now I am excited to have my own version to make!
What? Chickfila has a kale salad now?!
I’m just wondering about the caloric content, is it correct?
I love M Cafe!! I live in West Hollywood, but wanted to try making this salad at home. Yours is the first recipe I found!! Hooray!
So glad this kale salad was a hit, Robyn! Thanks so much for the review 🙂
Made this for a dinner party. Guests loved the dressing! I added a drizzle of sesame oil
Yum! I am so pumped to hear that this dressing was a hit. Thank you for sharing your review & star rating, I appreciate it.