An easy recipe for kale salad made with massaged raw kale, blueberries, walnuts, feta, & balsamic vinaigrette. Serve with oven-roasted chicken or slow cooker chicken as is – great for summer or any season!
Three words I never thought I’d say: I love kale.
From roasted vegetable kale salad to green monster smoothies to sausage, kale, and white bean soup – I LOVE kale!
My husband isn’t as much of a fan as me, but he’s slowly coming around. Case in point, I made him this kale salad with blueberries, walnuts, and feta and he DEVOURED the entire bowl.
And then he asked if I could make it again! THAT is how you know you have a winner!
Kale Salad with Blueberries, Walnuts, and Feta
Aside from the fact that my husband can’t get enough of this salad, here are more reasons why I love putting this beauty on the meal plan:
- It comes together REALLY fast. We’re talking 10 minutes, tops.
- You can make it ahead of time. Thank you kale for not wilting so easily!
- Minimal ingredients. You don’t need a lot of ingredients for this recipe – promise!
- Flexible recipe. Missing something? The odds are you can substitute for something else!
- Crowd-pleaser! I made this for a neighborhood BBQ and the whole salad was GONE in minutes!
- It’s a salad that uses up produce from all seasons, so you can enjoy this salad during the cool weather or hot!
Ingredients for This Easy Kale Salad
I mentioned that you only need a few ingredients for this awesome kale salad recipe and that they’re flexible too. Here’s what you need:
- Kale. A super healthy ingredient! Spinach or even plain lettuce will work too.
- Blueberries. Fresh is best, so swap with another fruit if blueberries aren’t in season.
- Walnuts. Or pecans, or almonds in a pinch.
- Green Beans. Or asparagus, or peas… just another “salad-friendly” small vegetable!
- Feta. Or blue cheese, or no cheese at all. Your call!
- Balsamic Vinaigrette. SUPER easy, 3-ingredient homemade dressing you shake in a jar.
How to Make Spinach Blueberry Salad
In just a few minutes, you’ll have a DELICIOUS salad on the table!
Step 1. Prepare the salad dressing by combining the ingredients in a jar and shaking well.
Step 2. Place the kale into a large bowl and pour the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale for 1-2 minutes.
Step 3. Top with the blueberries, walnuts, green beans, and feta and toss gently to combine.
Step 4. Serve immediately, or as desired.
This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. Store salad dressing separately.
Recipe Tips
Massaged kale salad (massaging the dressing into the leaves) is key to not being bitter. You can do this early in the day, or whenever you start getting dinner ready. Just make sure to use your hands and massage; tossing the kale with the dressing isn’t good enough.
Leftovers are just as good! Thanks to the hearty kale, it won’t be super soggy the next day. (Softer, yes, but not soggy.)
Use whatever produce is in season. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, apples… almost anything will work here.
Here’s my Strawberry Kale Salad recipe if you like something slightly different but with specific directions.
FAQs for This Healthy Kale Salad
Can you eat raw kale in salads?
Absolutely! That’s actually my favorite way to eat kale.
Which is better for you spinach or kale?
According to this article, both contain a lot of nutrition but spinach offers more folate, vitamin A, and vitamin K than kale. Kale provides more than two times the amount of vitamin C as spinach. Both are linked to increased weight loss, protection against disease, and improved heart health!
Do you make this salad with kale and/or spinach?
Yes! You can make this salad with kale or spinach, or both – whatever you want!
Serving Suggestions
I really like this salad as a main meal. Here are some protein side dish suggestions:
- blackened salmon
- shredded chicken
- Steamed shrimp
- If you’re vegetarian, Instant Pot lentils would be an easy addition!
Other topping suggestions:
- Parmesan cheese
- red onion
- fresh lemon juice
- bacon bits
- brussels sprouts
- tomato
- dried cranberries
More Kale Recipes
- The Best Kale Salad
- Kale Caesar Salad
- Sweet Kale Salad
- Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad
- Garlic White Bean Soup with Kale
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This kale salad comes together super fast! Fresh blueberries, crunchy walnuts, and creamy feta combine with the tender kale and tangy balsamic vinaigrette for a delicious easy meal!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: Serves 4–6 as a main meal. 1x
- Category: Soup & Salad
- Method: Bowl
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
- 1 batch Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing (recipe below)
- 1 lb kale, chopped into bite-size pieces
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 cup walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 cup green beans, steamed
- 2–4 Tbsp feta cheese, crumbled
Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
- 4 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1–2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp honey or maple syrup (optional)
Instructions
- Prepare the salad dressing by combining the ingredients in a jar and shaking well.
- Place the kale into a large bowl and pour the dressing over the kale. Using your hands, massage the dressing into the kale for 1-2 minutes.
- Top with the blueberries, walnuts, green beans, and feta and toss gently to combine.
- Serve immediately, or as desired.
Notes
- Massaged kale salad (massaging the dressing into the kale leaves) is key to the kale not being bitter. You can do this early in the day, or whenever you start getting dinner ready. Just make sure to use your hands and massage; tossing the kale with the dressing isn’t good enough.
- Leftovers are just as good! Thanks to the hearty kale, it won’t be super soggy the next day. (Softer, yes, but not soggy.)
- Use whatever produce is in season. Strawberries, peaches, grapes, apples… almost anything will work here.
- I like to serve this kale salad with chicken on the side, but it is also great as a vegetarian meal!
- This salad can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, even with the dressing! You can also massage the kale with a small drizzle of olive oil and store the salad components separately for up to 7 days.
Nutrition
- Calories: 252
How do you like to steam the green beans? Do you think I can roast them?
Hi Shelly,
Green beans can be steamed for 1-2 minutes in an Instant Pot or on the stovetop. Roasting is tasty too!