Kale Apple Salad (Easy and Ready in Minutes)

Our recipe for kale apple salad is delicious, nutrient-dense, and seasonal! This salad is fresh and bright. Even a kale skeptic would agree. We believe the key to a truly satiating and enjoyable salad is attention to each ingredient, fun textures, and balance of flavor. This one hits all the marks.

Trying to eat more greens? Look no further. Maybe you’ve tried kale and think it’s not for you. Before you go subbing the kale out for another lettuce, try our method. Kale is nearly unrecognizable when massaged for a few minutes (aren’t we all?). 

All jokes aside, raw kale can be coarse and have difficulty absorbing dressing because of its shape. When you massage the kale with dressing, you break down the structure of the green itself making it soft, smooth, and marinated in dressing. 

Plain massaged kale salad is good, but not great. Add in some key players like crunchy apple (we love honeycrisp), candied walnuts for sweetness, and a sharp cheese like feta, goat, or parmesan and this is an A+. 

This kale salad with apples is a perfect side dish or can be topped with your protein of choice for a well-balanced, whole-ingredient meal. 

Kale Apple Salad Recipe

Our recipe for kale apple salad is delicious, nutrient-dense, and seasonal! This salad is fresh and bright with kale, apple, and feta cheese. We believe the key to a truly satiating and enjoyable salad is attention to each ingredient, fun textures, and balance of flavor. This one hits all the marks.

No ratings yet

Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Salad

Cuisine American

Servings 4 servings

Calories 335 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

Salad

• 1 bag kale
• 1 small apple (such as honeycrisp, fuji, gala)
• ½ cup raw walnuts
• 2 tbsp Maple syrup
• ½ cup crumbled cheese (feta, goat)

Dressing

• 1 lemon (juiced)
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 2 tsp dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp honey
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Pour whole walnuts into small pan on low-medium heat and toast
  
• Dice apple and set aside
  
• Once walnuts get warm, pour maple syrup and stir regularly until coated
  
• Once the walnuts are coated, remove from heat and cool
  
• Combine all ingredients for dressing in a small dish
  
• Pour kale into a large bowl and pick out any large stems
  
• Pour ⅓ of your dressing and start to massage the kale for 3-5 minutes
  
• Chop up walnuts and top with a little salt
  
• Pour apple, walnuts, cheese, and the rest of your dressing and toss
  

Notes

There are two common kale types found in most grocery stores: curly kale and tuscan kale. They can be used interchangeably in this salad and should be treated the same.

Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 335kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 5gFat: 27gSaturated Fat: 5gPolyunsaturated Fat: 8gMonounsaturated Fat: 12gCholesterol: 17mgSodium: 244mgPotassium: 163mgFiber: 2gSugar: 16gVitamin A: 134IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 124mgIron: 1mg

Keyword apple, kale, Salad

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

Kale Apple Salad FAQs