This kale salad with hummus dressing is protein packed, delicious and full of nutrients.

Don’t take offense to this but, I’m betting you could use a salad right about now.

Am I right?

Today marks day 3 of cookie detox and I think I’m finally getting back to the point of maybe wanting something sweet later on.

It only took a whole head of kale, 1.5 pounds of mushrooms and lots of quinoa and other random veggies to get back here to “normal”.

Pumped up Kale Salad with Hummus Dressing

This salad was eaten on day 1 of detox (I’m using that term lightly here, I wasn’t on any serious detox or anything).

I honestly didn’t think it was possible, but I woke up craving a kale salad.

Really, that actually happened.

Luckily, I had a whole head of it in the fridge.

I also really wanted to test out my new Christmas gift so this salad + hummus dressing was born.

Kale Salad with Hummus Dressing

Usually when I make salads, I just throw things in a bowl and either dress them with my go-to balsamic vinaigrette.

Or, if I’m really ambitious, whisk up something a little more interesting.

Nothing earth shattering or warranting a recipe.

This kale salad with hummus dressing was so delicious though that it definitely earned it’s own space on here and I swear it wasn’t just the sugar in my bloodstream talking.

Pumped up Kale Salad with Creamy Hummus Dressing

First up, I made the dressing which is basically fancied up hummus with a protein kick from some nutritional yeast.

Want to know the difference between a piece of crap blender/food processor combo and my new 14 cup Cuisinart badass processor?

About 2 minutes worth of processing.

What would’ve taken at least 2 minutes of processing and multiple “scrape downs,” took about 5 seconds in my new food processor.

I’m in love.

Kale Salad with Hummus Dressing

Once the dressing was done, I prepped the kale and other add ins and tossed it all together, letting it sit for at least 10 minutes before digging in.

I made a lot of this knowing I wanted to save some for dinner later on and it took every ounce of will power to not gobble it all up for lunch.

2 years ago I had never even eaten kale.

Now, I want to eat an entire head of it in one sitting. Crazy.

Pumped up Kale Salad with Hummus Dressing

And since we’re talking all healthy today, guess what’s set up and ready for this winter?

bike

My new indoor bike trainer from my brother for Christmas.

2 years ago I was still 10 pounds overweight, couldn’t run for more than a minute and could maybe do 1-2 pushups.

Yesterday, I ran 3 miles, did 2 90 second planks, a kick ass upper body strength workout that left my arms feeling like jello and got really excited about setting up a bike trainer.

Eat kale salads and exercise. You’re worth it.

More kale salad recipes to enjoy:

The Best Baby Kale Salad
Winter Chopped Kale Salad
Bay Scallop Baby Kale Corn Salad with Savory Tart Cherry Granola
Baby Kale Chicken Cherry Salad
Sriracha Kale Caesar Salad
Spicy Thai Carrot and Kale Salad

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Pumped Up Kale Salad with Hummus Dressing

Servings: 4 servings
Prep: 15 minutes
Total: 15 minutes
This kale salad with hummus dressing is protein packed, delicious and full of nutrients.

Ingredients 

For the Kale Salad

  • 1/2 of a large head of kale, washed and trimmed
  • 1/2 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pint of grape tomatoes, sliced in half
  • 1/8 of a large yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 2 tablespoons pepitas
  • 1/3 cup walnuts

For the Hummus Dressing

  • 1/3 cup hummus
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon fresh parsley
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • salt & pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Combine salad ingredients in a large bowl, set aside.
  • Combine all dressing ingredients in a food processor and process until creamy and smooth.
  • Pour dressing over salad and toss well until fully coated. Let salad sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
  • Top with additional pepitas and walnuts if desired.

Nutrition

Serving: 1SERVINGCalories: 253kcalCarbohydrates: 11gProtein: 7gFat: 22gSaturated Fat: 3gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0.003gSodium: 87mgPotassium: 414mgFiber: 4gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 1328IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 51mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Salads
Cuisine: American
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Founder and Writer at Running to the Kitchen | About

Gina Matsoukas is an AP syndicated writer. She is the founder, photographer and recipe developer of Running to the Kitchen — a food website focused on providing healthy, wholesome recipes using fresh and seasonal ingredients. Her work has been featured in numerous media outlets both digital and print, including MSN, Huffington post, Buzzfeed, Women’s Health and Food Network.

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26 Comments

  1. LOVE THE DRESSING!!! I had made kale salad for dinner and googled a dressing recipe…found yours…my husband and I loved it! Thanks!