I’m in love. The dressing alone on this simple Kale Salad is sufficient to make me swoon. It’s only a quite simple Dijon French dressing, however it tastes so good with the earthy kale, crunchy walnuts, crisp apple, and juicy raisins. This salad is contemporary, tangy, candy, genuinely EASY, and makes some very budget-friendly components style simply downright scrumptious. And since kale is so sturdy, it stands up nicely to being pre-dressed with the French dressing, making this salad nice for weekly meal prep!
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“That is so good! I’m not normally an enormous fan of uncooked kale, however the dressing made it among the best salads I’ve had, kale or not. And thanks for the tip on reducing up kale; I’m not very skilled with meals prep, and people sorts of particulars have made the recipes in your web site a lot simpler for me!”
Elise
Contemporary, Crunchy, and Excellent for Meal Prep
For the longest time, kale and I had a barely difficult relationship. Not as a result of I didn’t prefer it, as a result of I do! However I principally saved it for cooked dishes, and I by no means appeared to complete the entire bunch earlier than it began wanting a bit of worse for put on at the back of my fridge. At any time when I ate it uncooked, the leaves felt a bit of too agency and bitter until I let it sit with the dressing on for a bit. However generally I wished to dig into my kale salad immediately!
The issue wasn’t the kale. I had been skipping the step that makes uncooked kale a lot extra gratifying. I used to suppose massaging kale was an pointless additional step, however then I attempted it, and now I perceive why individuals do it. It solely takes a couple of minutes, however it actually does assist soften the sturdy leaves and mellow their bitter edge. It additionally makes it simpler for them to take in that scrumptious Dijon dressing. Add in a tart however juicy Granny Smith apple, some crunchy walnuts, and a handful of candy raisins, and this simple kale salad utterly modified the way in which I felt about consuming kale uncooked. Belief me on this one.
- Take away the thick stems and chop the kale into small items. The thick, woody stems keep powerful even after the kale is massaged and dressed. I prefer to strip these away earlier than chopping the leaves into small bite-sized items. Nonetheless, don’t throw the stems away! They’re scrumptious added to a veggie stir fry later.
- Use pre-chopped kale to avoid wasting time. Pre-chopped bagged kale is fairly simple to search out as of late and pretty cheap (because it doesn’t wilt rapidly), so I‘m fairly blissful to pay for this comfort when the worth is correct!
- Dry the kale nicely! After washing the kale, I at all times be certain it’s as dry as attainable earlier than including the dressing. Further water can dilute the French dressing and preserve it from clinging to the leaves. I normally run my kale by means of a salad spinner. When you don’t have a salad spinner, unfold the kale out on a clear kitchen towel or some paper towels and pat it dry.
- Add the dressing a bit of at a time. I begin by tossing the kale with about half of the Dijon French dressing, then add extra till it’s dressed the way in which I prefer it (I normally find yourself including all of it). Because the dressing is pretty apple cider vinegar-forward, some readers want a lighter coating. You possibly can stir in 1 teaspoon of honey into the dressing for rather less tang, in case you like!
Yep, therapeutic massage these greens and style the distinction! Kale leaves are naturally sturdy and fibrous, so giving them a fast therapeutic massage helps soften their texture earlier than you eat them uncooked. You’ll be capable to SEE and really feel the kale change proper within the bowl.
So why do you have to therapeutic massage kale, anyway?
- It softens the leaves. Gently squeezing and rubbing the kale helps break down a few of its powerful and fibrous construction. This makes it really feel tender as a substitute of chewy in your mouth.
- It mellows the flavour. I’m positive we will all agree that kale can style fairly bitter. Massaging the leaves helps break down the compounds that give it these qualities. When you therapeutic massage it with an acid (like apple cider vinegar, which I exploit on this recipe) and/or salt, it truly chemically alters the greens and mellows out the flavour!
- It really works within the dressing. Since you’re working the oil, vinegar, and seasonings into the kale, it coats the leaves extra evenly as a substitute of sliding off and amassing on the backside of the bowl.
Methods to therapeutic massage kale:
- Take away the stems: Strip away the thick, woody stems (some thinner stems are okay), then chop or tear the leaves into bite-sized items.
- Add a number of the dressing: Drizzle the kale with half the Dijon French dressing.
- Get your arms in there: Utilizing clear arms, seize and gently squeeze handfuls of kale, working your manner across the bowl so all of the leaves get some consideration. I prefer to rub just a few of the firmer items frivolously between my fingers, too. There will probably be a noticeable distinction from if you begin to if you’re executed!
- Look ahead to the change: After 1-3 minutes, the kale ought to look darker and glossier, shrink to about half its unique measurement, and really feel noticeably softer.
Straightforward Kale Salad
Price $5.90 recipe / $1.48 serving
This simple Kale Salad is tangy, candy, and crunchy with Granny Smith apples, walnuts, raisins, and a selfmade Dijon French dressing.
For the Dijon French dressing
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Collect your components.
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Take away and discard the thick stems from the kale. Chop or tear the leaves into smaller items. Rinse the kale nicely below cool operating water, then dry it totally in a salad spinner or with a clear kitchen towel.
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Chop the Granny Smith apple into bite-sized items. For additional safety towards browning, place the apple in a small bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over it, and toss to coat. This step is optionally available, however advisable for meal prepping.
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Add the apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, minced garlic, salt, and freshly cracked pepper to a bowl. Whisk till mixed. Slowly stream within the olive oil, whisking continually, till the French dressing is easy and emulsified. Alternatively, mix all of the dressing components collectively till easy. Style and alter the salt and pepper as wanted.
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Add the kale to a big bowl and pour half of the Dijon French dressing over prime. Utilizing clear arms, gently therapeutic massage the dressing into the kale for 1-3 minutes, or till the leaves look darker and glossier and really feel noticeably softer.
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Add the walnuts, ready apple, and raisins to the kale, then toss till evenly mixed.
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Style the salad and add extra French dressing as desired (I used the entire batch). Serve instantly or refrigerate till able to eat.
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**The lemon juice is optionally available, however it retains the apples vibrant and prevents them from browning. It additionally helps preserve the kale vibrant inexperienced and assists with the general contemporary taste of the dressing. You possibly can discard the leftover lemon juice after you’ve tossed the diced apples, or simply add it to the bowl in case you like a bit of extra tang in your salad dressing! (I do.)
Storage: Retailer leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. I don’t advocate freezing this salad as a result of the apples lose their texture after thawing, and the dressing and kale turn out to be watery and limp.
Serving: 1servingEnergy: 335kcal (17%)Carbohydrates: 19g (6%)Protein: 5g (10%)Fats: 29g (45%)Sodium: 242mg (11%)Fiber: 5g (21%)
Methods to Make Kale Salad Step-by-Step Images
Collect your whole components.
Prep and wash the kale: Take away and discard the thick, woody stems from ½ lb. kale. A couple of of the thinner stems are superb to depart behind. I simply run my arms down the stem and pull the leaves as I’m going, as proven right here.
Now tear the kale into smaller items. I like utilizing smaller items of kale in contemporary salads as a result of it makes the kale simpler to chew and eat. If I’m cooking kale, I typically depart it in bigger items. Place the chopped kale in a colander and rinse nicely below cool operating water.
Dry the kale: Earlier than you construct the salad, be certain the kale is as dry as attainable. Give it a spin in a salad spinner till there’s little or no water amassing within the backside. No salad spinner? Shake off as a lot water as you possibly can, unfold the kale over a clear kitchen towel or paper towels, and gently pat it dry. The drier the leaves are, the higher that AH-MAZING dressing will cling!
Prep the apple: Core and chop 1 medium Granny Smith apple into small, bite-sized items and halve the lemon (if utilizing).
For additional insurance coverage towards browning, place the apple in a small bowl and squeeze the juice from 1 lemon over prime. Toss till all of the items are frivolously coated. This step is optionally available, however it’s particularly useful in case you’re meal prepping the salad.
Make the dressing: Now it’s time to make the dressing. Add ¼ cup apple cider vinegar, 1 finely minced garlic clove, 1½ Tbsp Dijon mustard, ¼ tsp salt, and ¼ tsp freshly cracked pepper to a small bowl. Whisk till the mustard is absolutely combined in and no streaks stay.
Slowly stream ⅓ cup olive oil into the vinegar combination, whisking continually. The French dressing ought to turn out to be barely thicker and look easy moderately than separated. It’s also possible to add all of the dressing components to a blender and mix till the garlic is minced and the dressing is easy.
Style the dressing and alter the salt or pepper in case you’d like. When you discover the dressing too tangy, whisk in about 1 tsp honey or some sugar to tone it down. However I recommend protecting it fairly tangy as a result of that vibrant taste works so nicely with the candy raisins and apple.
Therapeutic massage the kale: Place the dry kale in a big bowl and pour about half of the Dijon French dressing over prime.
Get your arms in there and gently seize, squeeze, and rub handfuls of kale, shifting across the bowl so each leaf will get some consideration. Proceed massaging for 1-3 minutes. You’ll understand it’s prepared when the leaves look darker and glossier, have lowered barely in quantity, and really feel noticeably softer between your fingers. Cease as soon as the kale is tender however nonetheless has some texture. You don’t need to therapeutic massage it into mush!
Assemble the salad: Now add ½ cup walnuts, the ready apple, and ¼ cup raisins to the massaged kale.
Toss nicely till the whole lot is evenly distributed and frivolously coated within the French dressing.
Style and serve: Style the salad, then add extra dressing as wanted. I normally find yourself including ALL OF IT, however you possibly can cease when it tastes proper to you. Give the salad one last toss, ensuring there’s no dressing hiding on the backside of the bowl, then serve!
Variations to Attempt
This simple kale salad is straightforward to customise. Swap out what you don’t like or alter the flavors to fit your tastes. Listed below are just a few of my favourite variations, together with some scrumptious concepts readers have shared:
- Pears: Swap the Granny Smith apple for a ripe however agency pear for a softer texture and a bit of extra sweetness.
- Dried cranberries: Substitute the raisins with dried cranberries for a barely tarter taste.
- Totally different nuts: Use pecans, slivered almonds, or candied walnuts as a substitute of plain walnuts. Pecans add a softer, buttery crunch, and almonds are a bit of firmer. Candied walnuts make the salad sweeter and I feel they’d be particularly good for fall or vacation meals!
- Shredded carrots: Swap the raisins for shredded carrots in case you hate raisins, however nonetheless need some added sweetness.
- Cheese: Add shredded cheddar, crumbled feta, or shaved Parmesan for extra richness and savory taste.
- Honey: Stir about 1 teaspoon of honey into the Dijon French dressing to melt the apple cider vinegar tang with out making the dressing overly candy.
Serving Solutions
When you’ve tossed the whole lot collectively, you’re able to dig into this simple kale salad! I’d fortunately eat it by itself for lunch, however it’s additionally actually good with baked tofu cubes or sliced grilled rooster. Actually, grilled rooster is my best choice once I’m meal prepping this salad (see beneath!) Ooh, I additionally suppose our creamy pork chops could be so good right here as a result of apples and pork simply belong collectively. That pairing would make an awesomely scrumptious dinner for a weeknight and even an important day. For an additional simple lunch choice, pair it with an air fryer grilled cheese for a bit of crispy, melty goodness on the aspect.
This contemporary kale salad is considered one of my favourite salads to meal prep as a result of kale holds up so nicely after it’s dressed. For a bit of additional insurance coverage towards browning, toss the chopped apples with a squeeze of lemon juice earlier than including them to the salad. Then divide the absolutely dressed salad into particular person containers and refrigerate. It retains nicely for as much as 3-4 days! Add your favourite protein, like rooster, tofu, or drained and rinsed chickpeas, to make every portion a extra filling grab-and-go lunch.
Storage Directions
Retailer any leftovers in an hermetic container within the fridge for as much as 3-4 days. There’s no must preserve the dressing separate, for the reason that kale holds up nicely as soon as dressed. Simply observe the leaves will proceed to melt and the apples might lose a bit of crispness over time. The olive oil within the French dressing may also agency up within the fridge. I at all times let this salad sit at room temperature for a couple of minutes, then give it a superb toss earlier than serving once more.
Attempt These Kale Salads Subsequent:
- I’d make this Kale and Candy Potato Salad for fall lunches as a result of it retains nicely within the fridge for about 4 days!
- This Crunchy Kale Hen Salad is one other strategy to flip sturdy kale right into a filling meal-prep lunch with rooster, almonds, raisins, and creamy honey Dijon dressing.
- Attempt my Kale Pasta Salad for a satisfying mixture of tender kale, pasta, chickpeas, juicy tomatoes, Parmesan, and creamy balsamic dressing.
Our Straightforward Kale Salad recipe was initially printed 6/23/12. It was retested, reworked, and republished to be higher than ever 7/25/26.
