Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published June 16, 2021. Updated June 19, 2021

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Refreshing Kale Salad made with crisp curly kale, sweet apples, shredded carrot, toasted almonds, sharp white cheddar and a lemony dressing. So much goodness in every bite!

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (1)

Shredded Kale Apple Salad

This is my favorite easy kale salad! It’s brimming with freshness and has a vibrant, sweet and tangy vinaigrette dressing that perfectly highlights it.

And can we appreciate the fact that it doesn’t wilt within minutes of adding the dressing like other salads may start to? Which makes it a great option for a dinner party or cookout.

It compliments so many meals and uses ingredients that you can easily get year round.

For a quick and simple dinner or lunch you can serve it as a side paired with a basic protein such as grilled chicken or salmon.

It’s a healthy salad recipe you’ll want to make on repeat. A delicious kale crunch salad with the best blend of flavors!

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (2)

Kale Salad Recipe Ingredients

  • Olive oil: Regular or extra-virgin olive oil will work depending on how strong of a flavor you’d like.
  • Lemon juice: In a pinch lime juice will work too. Be sure to use fresh.
  • Apple cider vinegar: White wine or red wine vinegar can be used instead.
  • Maple syrup: Don’t use pancake syrup. Honey is another great option.
  • Dijon mustard: If you’re out regular yellow mustard will be ok since it’s a small amount.
  • Salt and pepper: Season dressing with a fair amount.
  • Kale: I make this with curly kale but Tuscan kale will be tasty too.
  • Apple: Pears are another great option.
  • Carrots: No great subs here, just omit if you are out.
  • Slivered almonds: Substitute with walnuts or pecans.
  • Sharp white cheddar: Other options are yellow cheddar, gouda, provolone, Colby or Swiss or feta.
  • Red onion: Green onions will work as well.
    Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (3)

How to Make Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing

  1. Make kale salad dressing: In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest in fridge while preparing remaining salad ingredients.
  2. Prepare kale leaves: Remove kale leaves from thick ribs. Rinse and run through a salad spinner to dry well.
  3. Thin slice kale: Working in batches on a cutting board, gather and bunch kale leaves together and thinly slice creating ribbons.
  4. Add salad ingredients to bowl: Transfer kale to a very large bowl along with apples, carrots, almonds, cheddar cheese and red onion.
  5. Toss with dressing: Whisk dressing again then pour over salad. Toss well to evenly coat.
  6. Serve within a few hours for best results.

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (4)

Helpful Tips for the Best Kale Salad

  • Use freshest, good quality ingredients.
  • Chill dressing for a little while for a colder more refreshing salad. Also chill other ingredients like the apple and red onion.
  • Rinse kale to remove dirt and even bugs, then be sure to spin dry in a salad spinner so dressing clings well to leaves.
  • Slice ingredients thinly to tone down crunch slightly and for more uniformity.
  • Serve salad within a few hours of preparing so it doesn’t get soggy and so apples don’t brown.

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (5)

Variations

I think you’ll love this salad perfectly as it is but you can also try:

  • Adding diced avocado
  • Dried cranberries
  • Chick peas
  • Fresh pomegranate arils
  • Cooked quinoa or farro
  • For a more tender salad (with less crunch) you can massage the kale leaves in palms of your hands for about a minute before adding to salad.
  • To make it vegan replace cheddar with a vegan cheese.

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (6)

More Delicious Salad Recipes to Try

  • Avocado Salad
  • Broccoli Salad
  • Pear Spinach Salad
  • Quinoa Salad
  • Tomato Salad

16 Quick & Easy 30 Minute Recipes! (plus weekly recipe updates)

Kale Salad

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Refreshing Kale Salad made with crisp kale, sweet apples, shredded carrot, toasted almonds, sharp white cheddar and a vibrant lemony vinaigrette. So much goodness in every bite!

Servings: 8

Prep20 minutes minutes

Ready in: 20 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • 2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
  • 2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp real maple syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
  • 1 lb. curly kale (about 2 large bunches)
  • 1 large (9 oz.) apple, recommend gala, julienned
  • 2 medium carrots, shredded (1 cup)
  • 3/4 cup unsalted slivered almonds, toasted
  • 3/4 cup (3 oz.) shredded sharp white cheddar cheese
  • 1/3 cup sliced red onion, slice very thin

Instructions

  • In a mixing bowl whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, dijon mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Let rest in fridge while preparing remaining salad ingredients.

  • Remove kale leaves from thick ribs. Rinse and run leaves through a salad spinner to dry well. Working in batches on a cutting board, gather and bunch kale leaves together and thinly slice creating ribbons.

  • Transfer kale to a very large bowl along with apples, carrots, almonds, cheddar cheese and red onion.

  • Whisk dressing again then pour over salad. Toss well to evenly coat.

  • Serve within a few hours for best results.

Nutrition Facts

Kale Salad

Amount Per Serving

Calories 286Calories from Fat 207

% Daily Value*

Fat 23g35%

Saturated Fat 5g31%

Trans Fat 1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 3g

Monounsaturated Fat 14g

Cholesterol 11mg4%

Sodium 108mg5%

Potassium 437mg12%

Carbohydrates 17g6%

Fiber 3g13%

Sugar 8g9%

Protein 7g14%

Vitamin A 7629IU153%

Vitamin C 64mg78%

Calcium 193mg19%

Iron 1mg6%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Nutrition values are estimates only. See full disclaimer here.

Course: Side Dish

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Kale Salad

Author: Jaclyn

Categorized:

  • Healthy

Tagged:

  • almonds
  • apple cider vinegar
  • apples
  • carrots
  • dijon mustard
  • kale
  • lemons
  • maple syrup
  • olive oil
  • red onions
  • white cheddar

You Might Also Like:

  • Autumn Kale Apple and Quinoa Salad
  • Kale Orange Salad
  • Lemon Parmesan Kale Salad
  • Apple Slaw

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41 Comments

  • Tiffany

    Thank you so much for this recipe. It is my family’s favorite, and I make it often. We add grilled chicken and the Safeway sweet sesame sticks in the bulk area at the grocery store. If you have access to a similar crunchy, I highly recommend adding it.

    In the summer, I don’t like the kale because it tends to have a lot of aphids on it, so I switch to a different lettuce. But kale is the best.

  • Casey R

    Super yummy! I added a bit more ACV And a dash bit more of maple syrup to the dressing. It saves well for next day lunch, too. Will definitely make again!

    You should do a video or blog post on knife cutting tips, bc it took me way longer than 20 min to cut all the veggies :) Thanks for considering!

    • Jaclyn

      Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (12)

      I’ve just started chopping the apples (somewhat thin) vs matchsticks. Maybe you’d find this helpful with time.

  • Renee

    This was delicious. I substituted feta cheese and used candied pecans cause that what I had in hand. The dressing was perfect.
    This will be on the menu often as I have lots of kale in my garden

  • Lynn Martin

    Delicious, healthy and hearty!
    We all loved it!

More Comments

Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

FAQs

How do you make Katie Lee kale salad? ›

Combine mayonnaise, yogurt, mustard, vinegar, honey, celery seeds, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Mix to blend. Put the kale, cabbage, carrots, and sunflower seeds in a large bowl and pour in the dressing. Toss to combine until everything is evenly coated, then serve or store in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.

How do you make kale less bitter for salad? ›

Kale leaves can also be massaged with a little olive oil. Adding salt and squeezing lemon make a big difference by removing bitterness. Adding some spicy or sweet flavors may help tame the strong flavor of bitter kale. For example, tossing in some dried fruit helps balance the bitter with some sweet.

How do I eat kale to make it taste good? ›

We use a variety of techniques to make kale taste good. They involve balancing the bitterness with other flavors and modifying the tough and fibrous texture to make it easier to eat. Massaging Kale – massaging kale with a little oil and/or lemon juice for just a few minutes makes it more tender and easier to chew.

How do you make kale super soft? ›

How to Massage Kale. Our go-to method: Add chopped kale to a large bowl and top with lemon juice and olive oil. Use clean hands to massage for about 3 minutes to soften the leaves and infuse the leaves with the oil and lemon. A pinch of salt added near the end of massaging adds even more flavor.

What is the Jennifer Aniston salad? ›

For lunch, she had what is now known as the Jennifer Aniston salad: bulgur wheat, cucumber, herbs, chickpeas, feta, red onion, and pistachios.

What kills the bitterness of greens? ›

The foods that help reduce bitterness are:
  • Salt while cooking and/or while eating (like on bitter salad greens)
  • Sweet or Spicy.
  • Sour or Acids like lemon or vinegar.
  • Long cooking like braising (think southern collard greens that are cooked for hours)
  • Blanch first.
Jul 7, 2021

What tenderizes kale? ›

Drizzle with olive oil, lemon juice, or apple cider vinegar. Add a pinch of salt if desired. Massage the kale in between your hands by picking up the leaves and rubbing them. Do this for 2 to 3 minutes until the kale is noticeably softer.

What causes kale to be bitter? ›

Much like in onions and garlic, kale's bitterness is only formed when the vegetable is sliced, chopped, massaged, or chewed. When cells in a leaf of kale are intact, an enzyme called myrosinase and sulfur-containing compound glucosinolate are separated from one another.

Why do I feel so good after eating kale? ›

Kale is a nutritious food rich in antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin K, and beta-carotene. It also contains nutrients that can support eye health, weight management, heart health, and more. Loaded with important micronutrients and antioxidants, kale is one of the most nutritious leafy greens available.

Why does my kale taste bad? ›

Soak the kale in ice water before cooking

As a bonus, soaking the kale in ice water helps minimize the bitterness of the kale. This bitterness is the by-product of two enzymes, myrosinase, and glucosinolate, a sulfur-rich compound.

How do you cook kale so it is not tough? ›

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, once the oil is hot add the chopped kale, saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt, stir and cook until the leaves a tender and slightly wilted and toasted, 2 to 4 minutes. The longer the kale is in the pan the more toasted in flavor, and leaves will be more crispy.

What kind of kale is best for salad? ›

Kale Salad Recipe Ingredients

Any type of kale will work here. I especially like to use curly kale, but feel free to swap in Tuscan kale (aka lacinato kale) if you prefer. Extra-virgin olive oil and fresh lemon juice – You'll massage them into the raw kale to help the leaves soften.

Why do we put kale in boiling water for one minute? ›

Blanching kale allows it to hold onto its color, as well as many of its nutrients. Kale that has been boiled too long appears wilted and gray. The nutrients leach into the water, which you can use to make a stock.

What does kale salad do for your body? ›

Kale is a leafy green vegetable that provides a wide range of nutrients. Possible health benefits of kale include lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes, protecting against heart disease, and helping prevent constipation. Kale may also improve bone, skin, and hair health.

Can you eat kale raw like a salad? ›

Often labeled as a superfood, kale is one of the healthiest and most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. This leafy green comes in a variety of colors, shapes, and textures. It's often eaten raw in salads and smoothies but can also be enjoyed steamed, sautéed, boiled, or baked.

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