Baby Kale Salad with Apples & Maple Vinaigrette

During the holidays, we ate a lot of really rich food. So lately we’ve been craving simple and fresh, but still want to keep it as seasonal as possible. Enter baby kale, crisp apples, and salty tamari almonds. The maple vinaigrette is a dressing inspired by this salad. It’s easy to make and keeps well for a couple of weeks. If you keep it around that long, just bring to room temperature and shake it up really well before serving; the tahini tends to separate from the vinegar and maple syrup after a few days.

For the Salad

• About four good handfuls of baby kale (I’d estimate 6 cups)
• 1 large honey crisp or other sweet crispy apple
• 1/2 cup tamari roasted almonds

For the Vinaigrette

• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 2 Tbsp maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp sesame tahini
• 1/2 tsp dijon mustard

Combine the ingredients for the dressing and whisk together until incorporated. Chop apple into 1/2-inch cubes. Roughly chop almonds. In a large salad bowl, combine and toss baby kale with dressing. Toss apples and almonds on top, and serve!