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Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce

Chopped kale sautéed with onions and garlic, mixed with a sauce of sesame tahini, sesame oil, lemon juice, and salt.

Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce
Elise Bauer

Oh my, this is a good one. I never would have thought to pair kale with tahini (thank you to my friend Peg for the suggestion), but it's great!

Sort of reminiscent of a popular Japanese dish with spinach and sesame gomasio.

Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce
Elise Bauer

The slightly bitter green kale does a happy dance with the acidic lemon and salty richness of the tahini sauce. Very easy to pull together.

Would make an excellent addition to a Thanksgiving or holiday spread. Enjoy. (And as my dad says, eat your greens!)

Sautéed Kale with Tahini Sauce

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

  • 1 pound kale, well rinsed
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup chopped onion
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • Salt
  • 4 tablespoons tahini (use tahini made with toasted sesame seeds, not raw)
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 3-4 tablespoons water
  • 1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds for garnish

Method

  1. Remove kale ribs, slice kale:

    Using a sharp paring knife, cut out the rib of each kale leaf. Discard or compost. Slice the leaves roughly 1/2-inch thick.

    sauteed-kale-tahini-method-1
    Elise Bauer
  2. Cook onion and garlic:

    Heat olive oil on medium high heat in a large sauté pan. When hot, add the chopped onion. Cook for a couple of minutes until translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a minute more.

  3. Add kale to the onions:

    Add the kale to the sauté pan. Even if you have a pretty large pan, the kale will be practically falling out of it. Put in as much as you can and use tongs to turn over and mix with the oil and onions.

    After a couple minutes the kale should wilt a bit so you can add the rest of the raw kale.

    sauteed-kale-tahini-method-2
    Elise Bauer
    sauteed-kale-tahini-method-3
    Elise Bauer

    Cook, turning the kale leaves over occasionally until the kales leaves have wilted and are tender. Sprinkle a little salt over the kale leaves while cooking.

  4. Make tahini sauce:

    While the kale is cooking, whisk together the tahini, lemon juice, water, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and dark sesame oil. Add more salt and sesame oil to taste.

  5. Toss cooked kale with sauce:

    Once the kale is done, toss in the sauce, reserving a little to drizzle on top.

    Serve, topped with a little sauce and toasted sesame seeds.