Lightly sauteed kale and garlic come together with a creamy lemon tahini dressing in this Warm Kale Salad recipe.

For the longest time, warm salads or salads with hot dressings (read: hot bacon vinaigrette) reminded me of early 2000’s buffets, but this Warm Kale Salad changed all of that.

Lacinato kale, red pepper flakes, and a head of garlic sit on a wooden cutting board.

I don’t know if it was the Mother’s Day and Easter brunches we went to, or the fact that it was that we were living on the East coast, but bacon has never really been my thing. I know. Life is full of regrettable things.

Bowl of warm kale salad and a purple and white dish towel,with white flowers siting on it sit on a white counter.

A few weeks ago, however, when scrounging through the fridge for a last minute and late night feed-me-so-I-can-just-go-to-bed-already dinner, I started thinking about how good it might be to quickly saute up some kale and then toss it with a warm, savory dressing.

Sliced garlic and a silver knife sit on a wooden cutting board.

If my East coast circa 2001 roots are showing, at least they’re good ones. Given my aversion to bacon and given that it was oh-so-late and I was being oh-so-lazy, I started rooting for some dressing options in the fridge.

Thankfully, for my dressing and condiment hoarding habit, I had a container of my Lemon Tahini Dressing on hand. I tossed it quickly with the warm kale I’d sauteed with garlic and red pepper. Throwing it all in a bowl — there was no sharing for this girl that night — I saddled up to a warm and inviting salad that both filled me up and reminded me of home.

Skillet with sauteed kale and garlic sits on a cooling rack.

Warm Kale Salad Cooking Notes:

The amount of kale you will initially be sauteeing will likely look like an obscene pile. Don’t worry, though, it will cook down. If the amount of kale is too big to turn in your pan without it spilling out, however, you can cook it in batches.

I am lazy and don’t mind the ribs in the kale so I don’t re-rib it. If you are not lazy and/or do not like them, feel free to re-rib.

This recipe makes for 1 ultra-hearty main salad or 2 side salad portions. Feel free to double, triple — or increase by any multiplier of your choosing — based on how many mouths you are feeding.

If using a refrigerated Lemon Tahini Dressing that you made earlier, it may be thick. If so, feel free to thin it up by stirring in a tablespoon or so of cooler water.

Bowl of warm kale salad next to garlic cloves, red pepper, and a purple towel.

If you make and like this recipe, please rate it by clicking on the 5-star rating on the recipe card. I appreciate it so much! <3

2 side salads

Warm Kale Salad

Name: Warm Kale Salad
Prep time: 2 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 side salads
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 ½ tablespoons olive oil; 5 cups packed lacinato kale; 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced; ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes; ⅓ cup lemon tahini dressing

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

A quick and hearty warm side salad. Vegan and gluten-free. See the recipe below for the Lemon Tahini Dressing.

Ingredients

1 ½ tablespoons olive oil
5 cups packed lacinato kale
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
⅓ cup lemon tahini dressing

Instructions

Preheat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat then add olive oil to the pan and heat. Once oil is hot enough that it sizzles when water is flicked on it, add in kale and sated for 5-6 minutes, stirring often, or until turning bright green.
Add in garlic and pepper and saute for 1.5-2 minutes longer, continuing to stir continually, or until garlic becomes fragrant and starts to golden but isn’t browning or burning yet.
Remove pan from the heat and stir in dressing. Serve hot!

Notes

Leftovers will last in the fridge for 2-3 days. This salad does not freeze well.

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 267Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 14gCholesterol 0mgSodium 654mgCarbohydrates 26gFiber 7gSugar 7gProtein 9g

This nutrition breakdown is an estimate of the nutritional value of this recipe and cannot be taken as facts. The owners of Mae's Menu are not nutritionists or dieticians and therefore cannot be held accountable for this nutrition estimate. Please contact your nutritionist or medical professional for a nutritional breakdown of this food. Furthermore, this food is not intended to prevent, diagnose, cure, or treat any disease.

Warm Kale Salad