This Kale Salad is crisp, colorful, and packed with fresh veggies and lots of crunch. Topped with a simple homemade lemon dressing, it’s perfect to serve alongside baked chicken breasts or garlic grilled shrimp.
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Holly’s Recipe Highlights: Kale Salad
Flavor: A tangy lemon dressing balances this hearty kale salad made with crunchy broccoli, sweet cranberries, and salty cheese.
Why Make It: Leftover kale salad (even with dressing) can be kept in the fridge without getting soggy, making it perfect for meal prep!
Technique: For the best results, massage the kale with oil and salt to ensure it’s tender instead of tough.
Total Time: 20 Mins Servings: 4
Ingredient Notes for Kale Salad
- Kale: Chop or tear into bite-sized pieces and remove any tough stems. Then, massage it with a little olive oil and salt until the leaves darken and soften for the best texture.
- Broccoli: Chop the broccoli into small pieces so it blends into the salad. Swap it for broccoli slaw or bagged broccoli florets to save prep time.
- Carrots: Shredded carrots add sweetness, color, and crunch. Use bagged shredded carrots to save time.
- Cranberries: Dried cranberries bring chewy sweetness that balances the earthy flavors. Replace with raisins, dried cherries, or chopped dried apricots.
- Almonds: Sliced almonds add crunch and nutty flavor. Swap with pecans, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, or sunflower seeds for a nut-free option.
- Onions: Use a small amount of red onion for bite and color. Thinly dice or soak in cold water before adding to the salad to reduce the bite.
- Cheese: I use cheddar cheese, but feta cheese, parmesan, or goat cheese would work well too.
- Dressing: Fresh lemon juice, Dijon, honey, garlic, and olive oil make this tangy-sweet dressing that balances the kale’s earthy flavor and ties all the ingredients together. Swap maple syrup or sugar for honey, use avocado oil instead of olive oil, or try whole grain mustard for a little texture.
Favorite Variations
- Make it a Meal: Top this salad with grilled chicken, steak, grilled shrimp, or baked salmon.
- Skip the Meat: Sprinkle this salad with your favorite grain, like quinoa, or add in chickpeas to make it a full meal.
How to Make Kale Salad
- Wash and massage the kale (full recipe below).
- Prep the remaining ingredients and add them to a large bowl.
- Place the dressing in a jar and give it a shake (or whisk in a bowl). Toss with the salad.
Storing Leftovers
Store leftover kale salad in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. This hearty salad holds up well in the fridge, but some toppings are best added fresh when ready to serve.
This salad does not freeze well.
More Kale Recipes
Leftover kale can be stirred into pasta, blended into pesto, and even baked into crispy kale chips if the craving strikes! The possibilities are endless. I even love a little kale on my pizza when I have it handy.
Did you make this easy Kale Salad? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 1 to 2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups broccoli florets chopped
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup cheddar cheese shredded or diced, or crumbled feta, optional
- ¼ cup shredded carrot
- ¼ cup finely diced red onion
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup dried cranberries
Lemon Dressing
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar, adjust or add to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- To make the dressing, combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a lidded mason jar and shake well to emulsify.
- Massage the chopped kale with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderize.
- In a large bowl, combine the kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, and cranberries.
- Shake the dressing once more and pour ⅓ of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat and add extra dressing, to taste.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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This is so delicious! Very satisfying as a meal on its own.
This is delicious and really filling!
this was delicious – the kale-massaging is essential and really makes a difference!
Delicious! Even my husband (who generally shuns any “green stuff” really enjoyed this salad. Thank you, it’s a keeper. Yum.
You did not list the ingredients and what amount.
Hi Thomas, to see the full list of ingredients with amounts you need to scroll to the bottom to the recipe. You can also click “jump to recipe” at the top of each page. I hope this helps!
I never make this kale salad but when I do I will tell u all about it
This dressing is so so AMAZING! I normally don’t leave a review but I just had to for this recipe. My mom is picky and I honestly didn’t think she would like it because of the tart but she LOVED it! Definitely my favorite salad.. thank you for sharing!!
I am so glad to hear this recipe was a hit Tina!
We love this salad! How long should it keep in the refrigerator? I’d like to keep a large batch on hand.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe Kaitlyn! It should last a few days in the fridge.
easy and delicious, I substituted many items for ones i had on hand but was so good
I made this yesterday and it was a total hit! I have been growing and using kale for years but your tip about massaging the kale was a revelation to me and made all the difference! Thank you.
This dressing is perfection!
made this recipe for my boys. they all liked the salad! I didn’t have all the ingredients for the salad but i used veggies I had. the dressing was a total hit though. thank you!
Fantastic flavor! This salad is filling, so nutritious, pretty, and most of all yummy.
I used what I had for veggies-carrots, red onion, craisens, Granny Smith apple, and walnuts. I used balsamic vinegar and added a little more honey. Still pretty tangy- I didn’t measure the lemon, didn’t have red wine vinegar. I topped with cranberry and orange goat cheese. Fantastic!
This salad is awesome! I have made it twice in the last two weeks. I made it with maple syrup instead of honey for some vegan family members. The kale was fresh from my garden! Love it!
That sounds delicious, Sandra! Thanks for sharing your substitution.
This was incredible! I used a different dressing since I didn’t have red wine vinegar on hand, but the flavor combination was great. I especially love the dried cranberries – they’re wonderful in the salad! Broccoli adds a nice crunch, but otherwise unnecessary in my book. I used feta instead of cheddar. In any case, thank you so much!
Love it its a winner
Literally so good
Thanks, Kylie! So happy you enjoyed it.
This is delicious! I’m always looking for new ways to add kale to my diet and this is perfect! The only changes I made was substituting pecans for almonds and pumpkin seeds for sunflower seeds, only because I didn’t have those ingredients. I’m currently eating the leftovers from dinner two nights ago and it kept well in the fridge.
Can lucinato kale be used for this recipe? I just recently purchased 2 bunches from the farmers market.
Sure could Grace! Enjoy!