Best Kale Salad Recipe - Cooking Classy (2024)

Published June 16, 2021. Updated June 19, 2021

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!

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!

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.
  

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.

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.

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.

More Delicious Salad Recipes to Try

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