This dressing will stand up well to any greens including kale salads. I would recommend massaging the kale first with a little bit of the dressing and then add other toppings and more dressing. Try this King of Kale Salad!
Ingredients
1 tbsp white miso
1 tbsp of rice vinegar or mirin
1 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
1/2 package Mori-Nu firm tofu (optional - but if using tofu, please ensure it is the kind that comes in a tetrapack, not wrapped in plastic ) or 1/2 cup of creamy sauce or 1 medium size cooked potato)
1 tbsp or more of water or aqua faba (until desired thickness is achieved), if using potato, start with 1/4 cup of water and add more if needed
Variations
zest and juice of 1 lime OR
zest and juice of 1 orange
sprinkle sesame seeds on top of dressing
1/2 inch of finely chopped or grated ginger OR
1 tsp of dried ginger
Optional add in: for an extra umami punch, replace regular garlic with black garlic
Method
Start by putting sesame seeds into blender first and blend until crushed. This will release much more flavor! Put all other ingredients into blender cup and blend until smooth. Add water until desired consistency. Keep in a jar or deli cup.
Notes
Contrary to popular belief, salad dressings do not need to be made with oil. Oil does not help the nutritional profile of salads and just adds empty calories and saturated fats. To achieve the same level of emulsification, we can use unsweetened apple sauce, mustard, no-oil added hummus or chickpeas, white beans or aqua faba as a base. Please note: I would not recommend using beans or aqua faba without using a blender, as any blender (Magic Bullet, immersion blender, Vitamix, stand mixer) adds enough power to produce a nice emulsification to get a thicker sauce.
Serving Idea: King of Kale Salad
Massaged Kale, beet and cucumber salad with creamy miso dressing and toasted sesame seeds
This salad has become a recent favorite in our household that has even been catapulted to "snack" status
2 large handfuls of chopped kale
1/3 English cucumber, chopped
1 cooked beet (diced)
zest and juice of 1/2 lemon or lime
spritz of liquid amino
Optional: 1/4 avocado, diced
Optional: 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds and or 1 tsp of hemp seeds
Variations:
1/2 cup of sprouts (Alfalfa, Broccoli, etc.)
1/2 cup of sliced grape tomatoes
1/2 cup of cooked chickpeas
1/2 cup of sprouted green lentils
1 carrot in strips (using a vegetable peeler)
mandarin, orange, grapefruit chunks
In a bowl, add kale and massage thoroughly until "broken down" with lemon zest, juice and a spritz of liquid amino or soy sauce as well as 1/4 of avocado if using.
Add the other ingredients, and toss with dressing to your liking.
Optional: Top with toasted sesame seeds and/or hemp seeds.
Notes
I cannot claim to have much of a green thumb (a great dismay especially to my lovely mother who is known as a plant whisperer), but I recently started growing sprouts again in a mason jar with these sprouting lids. And if I can do this, so can YOU! After soaking 1 tbsp of seeds (alfalfa, broccoli sprouts) overnight in water, they just get rinsed twice a day, drain upside down for 15 minutes, and within in 3-5 days depending on the type of sprout, you can grow these lovely nutrient packed yummies for just pennies. Once matured, switch over to a regular lid and keep them in the fridge until consumption. I started adding them to my kale salads, Aaaaavocado toast as well as the Tofu Bennies.
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