Best Kale Salad

This truly is the best kale salad recipe! Quick and easy to put together, with tender massaged kale, sweet cranberries, and a crunchy walnut topping.

For a long time, kale salad wasn’t on my radar. I never even had kale until I was an adult in this Sausage and Kale Soup!

But kale is a dark leafy green vegetable and in turn, a POWERHOUSE of nutrition. And I’m always looking for ways to eat more of it, especially raw.

That’s where this kale salad recipe comes into play!

I’ve made it for normal dinners at home, Thanksgiving dinner with company, and I’ve even taken it to a potluck. EVERY SINGLE TIME it gets rave reviews!

BEST KALE SALAD RECIPE

There are a few reasons why this truly is the best kale salad recipe:

• Massaged kale. Yes, you need to massage the kale. This makes it tender and delicious!
• Pantry-friendly ingredients. If you’re missing a topping, try something else!
• Quick! This salad takes just 10 minutes to make.
• Make-ahead. It stores well if you know you’ll be short on time later.
• Great as leftovers! I’m always a fan of something I can make once and eat multiple times.

RECIPE FOR A KALE SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES AND WALNUTS

This recipe for a kale salad might seem like it has a lot of ingredients, but you probably already have everything you need.

• Raw Kale. Lacinato is best, and dinosaur kale is another great option for kale salad recipes like this, where you massage the kale ahead of time. Curly kale is always easy to find too.
• Kale Salad Dressing. You’ll massage kale with this simple dressing before topping the salad.
  • Minced Garlic
  • Fresh Lemon Juice
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt + Black Pepper
  • Maple Syrup
• Walnut Topping. You can also use almonds or pecans instead of walnuts.
  • Walnuts
  • Minced Garlic
  • Nutritional Yeast
  • Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
  • Salt
• Dried Cranberries. Dried cherries, raisins, or golden raisins would work as well.
• Sunflower Seeds. Pepitas (pumpkin seeds) are a nice alternative if you have them.

HOW TO MAKE KALE SALADS RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1. Prepare the kale. Chop the kale into small pieces using kitchen scissors and place in a large bowl. You may discard the stems if you don’t care for them or save them for adding to smoothies!

Step 2. Make the kale salad dressing. Combine the dressing ingredients in a blender and blend on low until everything is well combined.

Step 3. Massage the dressing into the kale for 2 full minutes.

Step 4. Make the walnut topping. Without washing the blender, add the toppings to the blender and pulse until the walnut pieces are very small.

Step 5. Assemble the salad. Top with the walnut topping, cranberries, and sunflower seeds and toss well. Serve immediately or make ahead for later in the day.

Kale salads recipes will keep for 2-3 days in an airtight container in the refrigerator. The kale leaves are sturdy enough that they hold up well even with the dressing on them.

SERVING KALE SALAD RECIPES

This easy kale salad recipe is a delicious fresh lunch on its own, but kale salads also make a great side dish! Try this raw kale salad recipe with one of these:

• Sheet Pan Sausage with Peppers and Onions
• Almond Crusted Baked Chicken
• Minestrone Italian Soup
• Slow Cooker Meatless Lasagna
• The Best Burger Recipe
• Maple Glazed Pork Chops
• Steamed Shrimp
• Grilled Steak

MORE YUMMY KALE SALADS RECIPES

Looking for more yummy kale salad recipes? Try one of these!

• Sweet Kale Salad (Costco Copycat)
• Kale Caesar Salad
• Kale Salad with Strawberries, Blue Cheese, and Pecans
• Roasted Vegetable Kale Salad
• Kale Salad with Blueberries, Walnuts, and Feta

Or make a kale quinoa salad:

Simply take my Crunchy Quinoa Salad or Greek Quinoa Salad and serve it over massaged kale – that’s it!

BEST KALE RECIPE SALAD FAQS

OTHER FAVORITE SALAD RECIPES

• Cranberry Apple Spinach Salad
• Buffalo Chicken Salad
• Vegetable Greek Salad
• Chicken Southwest Salad
• Wedge Salad
• Panzanella Bread Salad