This is the best kale salad recipe. It’s made with curly green kale, toasted walnuts, sweet apple, tart dried cranberries, creamy feta cheese, a touch of fresh rosemary, and a tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing. Enjoy it as a side salad or add your favorite protein to make it a healthy lunch.

I’m a huge fan of kale salad because it’s easy to make and has a ton of health benefits. It’s rich in vitamin C and E, which can help support immunity. It’s also a good source of plant-based calcium, which is needed for strong bones and teeth.

Table of Contents

Kale 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. You can use lacinato or dinosaur kale if you prefer.

Walnuts: Toasted walnuts are my favorite for this salad. You can substitute with toasted pecans, pepitas (green pumpkin seeds), or sunflower seeds if you prefer.

Apple: I like to use Gala apple for this salad for its sweet flavor. You can use Granny Smith or Honeycrisp apple if you prefer.

Dried cranberries: I love adding dried cranberries to this salad because they pair nicely with the apple and feta cheese. You can substitute with dried cherries or pomegranate seeds if you prefer.

Feta cheese: This adds a nice salty and creamy element to the salad. You can substitute with goat cheese if you prefer.

To make it vegan, use vegan feta cheese or chopped avocado.

Rosemary: Fresh rosemary adds a subtle hint of a lemon-pepper flavor in this salad. If you don’t like rosemary, you can leave it out.

Lemon vinaigrette dressing: This is a light dressing that goes nicely with the kale salad. It’s made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic, and salt and pepper.

Traditional vinaigrette is made with a ratio of 1 tablespoon acid (lemon juice) for every 3 tablespoons of oil. You can add 1-2 tablespoons of extra lemon juice if you prefer more acid in your vinaigrette dressing.

Tips to making kale salad

Avoid pre-cut kale – Buy a bunch of whole kale leaves. Avoid buying pre-cut kale in a bag because bagged kale tends to include the tough stems.

Thinly slice the kale – This makes it easier to eat the kale.

Remove the stems – While the stems are edible, the are tough and hard to chew. I like to de-stem the kale when making a salad.

Choose lacinato kale if you want it less tough – Also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale. I love curly green kale, but some people don’t like its texture. Lacinato kale tends to be softer and more flavorful.

Massage the kale – This helps to make the kale tender and remove any bitterness. If you’ve ever order kale salad in a restaurant, this is exactly what they do. It makes a huge difference. You don’t want to skip this step!

How to massage kale: Place the chopped kale to a large bowl and drizzle a little lemon juice and a pinch a salt.

Use clean hands to squeeze the kale together using moderate pressure, like you’re massaging the leaves. Do this for 1-2 minutes until the kale is slightly wilted.

Let the salad sit for 5 minutes before serving – Most salads tend to get soggy if you let them sit too long, but kale salad gets better. The salad dressing helps to break down the cells of the kale, making it easier to eat.

How to make kale salad

Toast the walnuts – Heat a small skillet on the stove over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, add the walnuts in a single layer.

After 1 minute, use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir them frequently until browned (about 6-8 minutes). Transfer walnuts to a cutting board to cool before chopping.

Prep the kale – Start by removing the kale leaves from the stems. You can do this by sliding your hand along the stem to separate the leaves.

Wash and thoroughly dry the kale. Roll up a few of the kale leaves and use a knife and cutting board to finely chop the kale. Cutting the kale up small makes it easier to eat.

Massage the kale – Place the chopped kale in a large bowl. Drizzle the kale leaves with a little lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Scrunch it with your hands to help all the liquid coat the kale leaves.

Continue to squeeze the kale between your fingers for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the kale turns vibrant greens and softens.

Make the salad dressing – Add all the ingredients to a Mason jar and a pinch of salt and black pepper.

Secure the lid on the jar and briefly shake until the dressing is emulsified. (Don’t have a jar? Whisk everything in a bowl instead). Taste and adjust with more salt and black pepper if desired.

Dress the salad – Drizzle the prepared lemon vinaigrette dressing on the massaged kale and toss until the leaves are evenly coated.

Add the toppings – Add the toasted walnuts, chopped apple, dried cranberries, feta cheese, and minced rosemary to the salad. Toss until everything is combined. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

How to store leftover kale salad

You can store leftover kale salad in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Kale leaves are sturdy, so they won’t get soggy even if there is dressing on the salad.

Instead, they tend to absorb the dressing. You may need to drizzle a little olive oil or fresh lemon juice on top before serving leftover salad to brighten it up again.

Please let me know how you like this kale salad with apple and walnuts 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.