A fresh salad is a perfect lunch or side for almost any meal.
This easy kale salad is packed with fresh veggies and lots of crunch for in a simple homemade lemon dressing.
This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclosure policy.
A Family Pleasing Kale Salad Recipe
This kale salad recipe is quick and easy.
- Kale salad can be made ahead – prep it the night before and pack it in lunches the next day.
- Unlike tossed salad, I love how leftover kale salad (even with dressing) can be kept in the fridge without getting soggy!
- The zesty homemade lemon dressing takes just minutes to prep and is so much better than store-bought.
How to Prepare Kale for Salads
Kale is ideal to prep ahead for salad and sandwich greenery because it holds up like a champ in the fridge – it stays fresh without wilting! Prepare kale quickly over the weekend, and it will keep fresh and crisp all week long.
- Rinse the kale leaves in cold water.
- Remove the thick stem by pulling off the leaves.
- Spin dry in a salad spinner or shake dry and dab with a kitchen towel.
- Massage the kale; more on that below.
How to Massage Kale
Say what?! Massage the kale. Massaging kale releases some of its bitterness and helps tenderize or soften it for salads. You can skip this step, but I’d say try it at least once. It changes the texture and flavor of the salad. I use curly kale but have also used dinosaur kale in this recipe.
- Tear or chop the washed kale into bite-sized pieces, then sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
- Next, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil on your hands. Pick up some of the kale and rub it, massaging the leaves until they darken in color and become tender.
I swear that a massaged kale salad tastes a million times better—we wouldn’t prep kale any other way! If you prefer to massage your kale without oil, try a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice instead!
How to Make Kale Salad with Cranberries
This is one of the best kale salad recipes around! It has cranberries, almonds, and a quick and fresh lemon dressing.
- Wash and massage the kale per the recipe below.
- Prep remaining ingredients and add to a large bowl.
- Place dressing in a jar and give it a shake (or whisk in a bowl). Toss with the salad.
Variations
This is a raw kale salad with cranberries and many other tasty mix-ins. I chose to add carrots, broccoli, red onion, dried cranberries, cheese, sliced almonds, and sunflower seeds, but get creative!
- Replace cranberries with raisins or other dried or fresh fruit like apples!
- I used cheddar cheese, but feta cheese, parmesan, or goat cheese would work well too.
- Swap out almonds for other nuts like pecans or walnuts.
- Make it a meal and top with cooked chicken, steak, grilled shrimp, or salmon.
- Skip the meat and sprinkle with your fave grain like quinoa or add in chickpeas.
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.
- Tropical Mango Kale Smoothie – SO GOOD!
- Quick Homemade Kale Pesto
- Cilantro Lime Mexican Kale Salad
- Sausage & Kale Soup
Did you make this easy Kale Salad? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups broccoli florets chopped
- ½ cup sliced almonds
- ½ cup crumbled feta cheese optional, or shredded cheddar
- 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 plus add to taste
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
Dressing:
- Combine olive oil, lemon juice, vinegar, Dijon, honey, garlic, oregano, salt, and pepper in a lidded mason jar and shake well to emulsify. Dip a kale leaf in the dressing and adjust sweetener, salt, and pepper to taste. You can make this dressing as sweet or tart as your heart desires!
Salad:
- Massage the chopped kale with olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderize. This makes it taste great and gives the kale a silky texture!
- In a large bowl, combine massaged kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries. Shake your dressing once more and pour about 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
Cuisine American© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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!