Kale Salad with Tahini Lemon Dressing

I would like to start this post by telling you that this recipe is still a work in progress. The first time I made it, a week ago, it was incredible. However, I was making up the dressing as I went along, and as you probably would agree, sometimes a new food creation is just a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

So, after gobbling up what I considered to be one of the greatest kale salads of all time, I decided to recreate it this evening; this time I planned to measure my proportions so as to turn it into a written recipe that can be referred to time and time again. Unfortunately, when I made the dressing tonight, although I still think it came out delicious, it was not exactly what I wanted.

That being said, I really love this salad and I do fully intend to make it again. But over time I plan to work on making the ultimate Tahini Lemon Dressing, which is why I am calling this recipe a work in progress. And by telling you this, I hope that I can employ your help. If you try this salad and want to give me your opinion on how I can hone in on making it awesome, please do give suggestions. I actually feel like my problem with the salad the second time around may be because I was working with much more bitter kale, so I'd like to see what others think. Also, I know the dressing has a high oil content, I plan to work on that as well. 

Now, to the recipe it self. Like many salads, this recipe is very simple. It consists only of kale, cucumbers, tomato, croutons, and dressing. I chopped the kale finely, sliced the cucumber into thin half moons, and diced the tomato. I also discovered that because kale is such a sturdy vegetable, it helps to put the dressing on it and let it marinate for a little while (15 minutes is probably enough) before eating it. The cool thing about a kale salad is that it can be dressed and sit around for ages without getting soggy like lettuce; it is therefore still super fresh and crispy the next day. 

Because I cook vegan, I had to make the croutons myself rather than buy them in a store; most store bought croutons have some form of dairy in them, such as milk powder, whey, or cheese. If the idea of making croutons seems absolutely absurd to you, then go for the store bought ones, but keep in mind, making croutons is incredibly quick and easy. I just throw some bread together with a bunch of dried herbs and saute them up in a frying pan with some oil for 3-4 minutes on medium heat. 

Salad
8 cups chopped kale
3/4 cup sliced cucumber
1 tomato diced
croutons & dressing

Dressing
3 Tbs tahini
2 cloves garlic, mashed
3 Tbl lemon juice
3 Tbl olive oil
1 Tbl red wine vinegar
2 Tbl water
1/4 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste

Croutons - use dried herbs
2 slices of bread cut into crouton sized pieces (if its not stale then just toast it up and you're good to go)
1/2 tsp garlic powder (fresh garlic would be even better, but I felt like using the powder)
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp basil
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp crushed rosemary
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
3 Tbs olive oil