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.
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.
Did you make this easy Kale Salad? Leave us a rating and a comment below!
Easy Kale Salad with Fresh Lemon Dressing
This easy kale salad features fresh veggies and a super simple homemade lemon dressing, making it perfect as a healthy side dish or light lunch!
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Dressing:
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Combine dressing ingredients 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:
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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!
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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.
Nutritional information does not include cheese and other optional ingredientsÂÂ
Calories: 334 | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 26g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Sodium: 315mg | Potassium: 744mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 9985IU | Vitamin C: 146.3mg | Calcium: 192mg | Iron: 2.7mg
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Salad
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