Kale Crunch Salad

This Kale Crunch Salad is healthy and easy to make as a side dish for your next BBQ. It’s made with a combination of curly green kale and green cabbage, and tossed with a homemade apple cider and Dijon vinaigrette dressing. Top it with roasted salted almonds for a delicious and crunchy salad.

I’ve never tried the Kale Crunch Salad at Chick-fil-A before, but I’ve been seeing copycat recipes pop up all over my social media.

It looks so yummy and flavorful that I was inspired to make my own version of this simple kale salad at home. Even my toddler loves eating this Kale Crunch Salad, which is a win-win in my books!

It takes only 10 minutes to make this salad, and you can serve it for lunch or dinner with a side of grilled chicken, marinated tofu, or baked salmon.

This is an easy recipe that you can customize based on your taste preferences. For example, my husband loves to add a handful of dried cranberries to this salad and sometimes I add a chopped apple or crispy chickpeas.

Kale Crunch Salad Ingredients

Kale:  I use regular curly green kale for this recipe because that’s the easiest one to find at my local grocery store. It’s also the type of kale that Chick-fil-A uses for their salad.

Green cabbage: I use thinly sliced green cabbage for this salad. It goes well with the kale because they have a similar texture and flavor. They both hold up well with the Apple Cider and Dijon dressing.

Almonds: I use roasted salty almonds for this recipe because that’s what Chick-fil-A uses in their salad. You can use unsalted almonds, raw almonds, or toasted sliced almonds if you prefer.

Apple cider and Dijon vinaigrette: My homemade vinaigrette is easy to make with extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, minced garlic, and salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

How to make this Kale Crunch Salad

Make the dressing. In a jar with a fitted lid, add the extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup if using), minced garlic, and a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Seal the jar and give it a good shake until the dressing is well combined and emulsified. Don’t have a jar? Whisk everything together in a bowl until well combined.

Massage the kale. Add the kale to a large mixing bowl and drizzle 3 tablespoons of the prepared dressing over the kale. Use your hand to massage the dressing into the kale for 2 minutes.

This sounds weird, but it helps remove the bitterness of the kale and makes it easier to eat.

Assemble the salad. Add the cabbage and remaining dressing to the kale. Toss gently to combine.

Chill before serving. Cover the salad and store in the fridge at least 1 hour before serving. When you’re ready to serve the salad, sprinkle the chopped almonds on top and enjoy.

What else can I add to this Kale Crunch Salad?

Below are some other great items you can add to this salad to make it your own.

• Dried cranberries
• Finely chopped broccoli
• Thinly sliced red cabbage
• Grated carrots
• Roasted sunflower seeds
• Roasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds)
• Chopped apple or pear
• White kidney beans
• Thinly sliced green onions or red onions
• Feta cheese or grated parmesan cheese
• Quinoa
• Cucumber
• Red bell pepper
• Crispy chickpeas

What to serve with this Kale Crunch Salad

Below are some suggestions on what you can serve with this salad to make it a complete meal.

Add a protein. Grilled chicken, shrimp, salmon, tofu, or crispy chickpeas.

Pair it with a soup or stew. Minestrone, chicken noodle soup, Tuscan Ribollita, tomato soup, vegetable soup, or vegetarian chili.

As a side dish. Serve it with my Mint and feta turkey burgers, Cherry tomato pasta or Shakshuka.

With a sandwich. Serve it with my Mediterranean grilled cheese sandwich.

Make-Ahead and Storage Suggestions

I personally find this salad tastes best on the day it has been made. But you can store any leftover salad in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  

You can make the salad dressing up to 1 day in advance and store it in the fridge. You can assemble the salad without the dressing or almonds up to 3 days in advance and store it in the fridge. Store the almonds at room temperature so they stay crunchy.  

On the day you plan to eat the salad, add the dressing and toss to combine. Store the dressed salad in the fridge for at least 1 hour before you plan to serve it.

Please let me know how you like this Kale Crunch Salad recipe in the comments below! Your feedback and review encourages me to keep creating new and yummy recipes. I hope you love this salad as much as I do.

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