Kale Salad with Za’atar Dressing  

“This isn’t health food. This is ritual. This is the bite before winter.”

Kale Salad with Za’atar Dressing 

Tenderized kale tangled with sweet-tart apples, chewy cranberries, toasted seeds, and slivers of shallot—bathed in a maple-lime za’atar dressing that cuts through bitterness and binds it all in brightness. It’s the kind of salad you eat with your hands when no one’s looking. And maybe when they are.

Ingredients

  • 1 bunch lacinato or curly kale, stems removed, leaves torn
  • 1 apple, thinly sliced or julienned (Honeycrisp or something tart)
  • ¼ cup dried cranberries
  • 1 shallot, very thinly sliced
  • ¼ cup sunflower seeds, toasted
  • Optional: crumbled feta or goat cheese (but it holds strong without)

Za’atar Maple Dressing

  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp lime juice (or lemon)
  • 1 tbsp za’atar
  • ½ tsp Dijon mustard
  • Salt + pepper, to taste

How The Alchemy Happens

  1. Massage kale with a pinch of salt until it softens and deepens in color.
  2. Shake all dressing ingredients in a jar until emulsified. Taste. Add more maple or lime as needed—it should be balanced, with za’atar up front.
  3. Toss kale with apple, cranberries, shallot, and sunflower seeds.
  4. Drizzle dressing, toss again, and let it sit for 10–15 minutes before serving. The kale wants time to soak up your intentions.

🔙 Back to the Kitchen

“Even bitterness softens when dressed in warmth and spice.”