Apple and Kale Salad with Walnuts and Lemon Tahini Dressing
Oct 23, 2018 (Last updated Oct 20, 2026) by Hannah Sunderani
Say hello this this wholesome and nourishing Harvest Apple and Kale Salad with Walnuts. Made with massaged kale, sweet honeycrisp apples, toasted walnuts, hemp hearts, crunchy pomegranate seeds, sweet chopped dates and cranberries. Tossed in a simple lemon tahini dressing that’s creamy, garlicky and addictive!
This apple and kale salad is the one I bring to every fall dinner party, and it always comes home in an empty bowl. It’s creamy, crunchy, tangy, and sweet all at once, and it wins over the greens lovers and the salad skeptics at the table.
Best of all, kale only gets better as it soaks up the dressing, so you can make it a day ahead and dress without stress – which is perfect for Holiday gatherings like Thanksgiving and Christmas. I like to serve this salad as a side with my maple roasted carrots, and my Mushroom Wellington, or White Bean Sausage.
So, let me tell you exactly how to make this recipe so that you can enjoy it pronto!
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Why You’ll Love My Recipe
Most kale apple salads are tossed in a simple vinaigrette and topped with cheese, but this one keeps the cream without the dairy! Tossed in a creamy lemon tahini dressing – this salad has a creamy finish while still feeling light. Having tahini as the base gives this salad the feeling of an kale Caesar salad – but then elevates it with additional elements from crunchy fall fruits, to sweet dates, and toasted walnuts.
It’s a salad recipe that’s vegan, dairy-free, oil-free, light and wholesome – but totally hits it out of the park for a restaurant-worthy salad that all eaters adore.
Hannah xx
Ingredient Notes:
This kale and apple salad uses simple, whole-food ingredients to make; which is what I love about it! Likely you already have them in your kitchen, and they are easy to find at your local grocery store if needed. Here’s what you’ll need.
- Kale: I love using kale in this salad recipe for its sturdy, hearty leaves – they hold up to the creamy dressing without wilting. This means that our salad can be dressed ahead of time, and actually tastes better the next day as the leaves soften and soak up flavour! I recipe tested this with other leafy greens, but they didn’t hold up to the dressing and additional ingredients as well as the kale did. My next recommendation would be thinly shredded cabbage.
- Apple: Thin slices of honey crisp apple adds a crisp and fresh crunch! It’s a lovely fall fruit that holds both sweet and tart notes, which really brightens the earthy kale – and makes this salad feel unmistakably autumnal. Any apple variety will do in this recipe, but my personal favourite is honeycrisp!
- Pomegranate: These jewel-like seeds add a crunchy and juicy bite – and I love the pop of colour that makes the salad look festive on any holiday table!
- Walnuts: Toasted walnuts bring a rich, buttery crunch. They’re ever so bitter and earthy; which pairs really beautifully with the sweeter ingredients we find in this recipe, like apple and dates. I also recipe tested with toasted pecans and toasted almonds and it was equally as delicious!
- Dates: Sweet chopped medjool dates add a soft, caramel-like sweetness that contrast beautifully with the crisp apple and crunchy walnuts. This ingredient is a must in my opinion, and is what really makes this salad stand out from others I’ve tried.
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries bring a tart-sweet tang that keeps the salad bright, and adds another seasonal touch.
- Tahini: Used as the base of our dressing, tahini makes it rich and creamy with a nutty, slightly savoury flavour. It achieves a Caesar-like dressing – all without any dairy, eggs, or oil!
- Lemon: Fresh lemon juice adds brightness and acidity that cuts through the creamy thick tahini in a really nice way. It gives the dressing a Caesar-like tang which is so delicious! The acid from the lemon juice also helps to tenderize the kale for a pleasantly chewy kale salad.
So there we have it! A wholesome and nourishing autumn salad that’s full of fall flavours and texture! I really think you’re going to love this harvest apple and kale salad as much as we do. I’m sure it will be the talk of the table at your next gathering.
If you do make this recipe please let me know in the comments below what you think! I truly love hearing from you, and I’m always here to answer any questions you might have. I love creating wholesome recipes for your families, and inviting you into my kitchen to share what I’m cooking! Thanks for being here. <3
And of course, tag me on Instagram with your pictures using the hashtag #twospoons. Nothing makes me happier than to see your recreations.
Apple and Kale Salad with Walnuts and Lemon Tahini Dressing
Ingredients
Creamy Lemon Tahini Dressing
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (about 2 lemons)
- 1/4 cup tahini
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- pinch sea salt
- filtered water , to thin (I used 2-3 tbsp)
Apple Kale Salad
- 1 bunch kale (200 g/7 oz), washed and torn into bite sized pieces (with stems removed)
- 1/2 cup walnuts
- 2 tbsp hemp hearts
- 1 apple , thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp dried cranberries
- 3 medjool dates , pits removed, and chopped
- 1/3 cup pomegranate seeds
- sea salt and pepper , to finish
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Instructions
- Make the creamy lemon tahini dressing: In a small bowl add lemon juice, tahini, garlic, and sea salt. Whisk to combine. Add splashes of water to thin until desired dressing consistency (I used 2-3 tbsp).
- Add the washed and torn kale to a large mixing bowl and massage with your hands for 1 minute. This helps to soften the leaves so they are less tough, and will be better primed to absorb dressing.
- Roast the walnuts in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally until lightly browned and fragrant, about 7-10 minutes. Let cool slightly then chop.
- Pour the dressing over kale leaves and toss to combine. Sprinkle with the walnuts, hemp hearts, chopped dates and cranberries.
- Transfer kale salad into a serving bowl. Nudge the sliced honeycrisp apples into the salad in decorative way, and sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds. Season with salt and pepper and serve.
Notes
Approvals
Nutrition
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I will be making this in a few days but I was wondering as I was reading that it says you can put the dressing on the salad a day before but in most cases when making salad you only put the dressing before serving cause the leaves will get too soggy so will this not happen to the kale leaves as well?
Hi Nancy! Yes you can dress the kale salad well in advance! Because the leaves are so sturdy it’s actually more advantageous to give them some time to absorb the dressing than your traditional more fragile leaves like spinach or arugula. I hope this helps!
I’m so glad I made this! It’s so creamy, delicious and full of flavour! I think I will take your advice and make it the day before next time, so that the flavours can really soak into the kale. I’m already planning on bringing this to my family thanksgiving! I’m sure my family will love this recipe as much as I do!
So glad you liked the recipe Krystal. It’s such a classic fall salad in our home. And yes, I love making this salad one day before to let the greens soak. Or even a little massage with your hands before dressing will help to soften them a bit. Hope your family loves this recipe too!