Kale Salad with White Harissa

Sometimes, there are sauces that just stay with you. And that’s exactly how I felt at Shukette this past weekend (one of my favorite NYC restaurants, and you can find another index of my favorite NYC places here!) when I tried their white harissa. Did my eyebrows raise when I heard the term “white” harissa? Yes. Because traditionally harissa is made with red chilies, which obviously makes it a bit red. But my skepticism was quickly eased with a sauce that I can only describe as creamy, spicy, and fresh – and with that, their white harissa had me hooked.

This kale salad does its best to replicate that sauce, and I think it turned into one of my favorite sauces I’ve made to date. PS – I think sauces and dressings are interchangeable. What is a sauce to me is a dressing to you is a dressing to me, and so on and so forth. So when it comes to white harissa, whether it’s on salad or on fries, I’m in.

The salad itself is simple, using crispy quinoa for crunch and protein, but otherwise relying on the vegetables and dressing to do all the work. I glam it up with heirloom tomatoes, but you can add any vegetable you want to the mix. They all marry perfectly with the dressing. Read on for more tips on how to make, store, and use the uniquely healthy, filling, and flavorful salad!

What is white harissa?

First, please know that this is with no intention to be rude or disrespectful to the traditional North African harissa which is primarily made up of red peppers, spices, garlic and the like. I live for traditional harissa and find myself buying the Mina brand to make this artichoke dish and this eggplant dish more times than I can count! This is just a fun play on harissa, giving credit to its proper origin and intent, and then doing a small spin on it to make this spiced, creamy and dippable sauce that I truly cannot get over. It’s so good.

The original inspiration for this white harissa came from the restaurant Shukette, which has a version on their menu that looks pretty da** close to mine, which makes me feel like I did a valid job! They serve theirs with fries, and I serve mine with kale, but I guarantee both will be delicious.

White harissa takes inspiration from traditional harissa by using coriander, cumin and caraway seeds – mimicking that sumptuous, spiced depth that harissa has, without bringing in its normal heat from red chilies. The heat does come from a kick of red pepper flakes though, which I added to make sure the sauce has a little something spicy going for it.

After the initial spices are toasted with garlic, the spiced oil blends with an egg yolk and vinegar to make the white harissa a proper emulsion – almost an aioli, but much thinner. To bring back the thickness I add tahini, which mellows out the sharp vinegar flavor and makes this a sauce you can eat again and again. Trust me, white harissa might not be traditional, but it is GOOD,

Ingredients you will need for this kale salad with white harissa

The salad part can be up to you, but the dressing ingredients are non-negotiable. Here I punch up the salad with massaged kale and big tomatoes, which I will admit are pretty divine. But if that’s not what is in season in your area, feel free to mix up your vegetables! This white harissa will go with pretty much any type!

• 5-6 cups kale, washed and finely chopped
• 1/3 cup and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup and 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Diamond Crystal kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon each cumin seeds, coriander seeds, caraway seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon Aleppo pepper flakes
• 3 garlic cloves, grated
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons tahini
• 1/4 cup cool water
• 2 medium heirloom tomatoes, chopped
• 1 recipe crispy quinoa

Do I have to use crispy quinoa in this kale salad?

The short answer – of course not! It’s your dinner – and if you don’t want to turn on the oven, I definitely will not force you. This salad does benefit from a kick of protein though, but that can be whatever you wish. Here are a few starter ideas for what to pair with this kale salad that isn’t crispy quinoa:

• Crispy chickpeas! If you don’t want to turn on the oven to make these, simply wipe out the pan you made the harissa oil in, then toast the chickpeas in oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Just be sure to stir often so they don’t pop!
• Leftover chicken or salmon – this salad sings with salmon, so if I have any leftovers, I just warm it up very quickly and add it in!
• Croutons or breadcrumbs – don’t need protein, just need crunch? This is your answer. The white harissa almost soaks into the croutons and makes a truly magical bite.

FAQ

Looking for similar recipes?

Here are a few other kale favorites on the blog:

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Watch the recipe here

The video may not fully represent the recipe. For best results, follow the instructions as written.