Simple Kale Salad Best Recipe

Published on January 19, 2022 Simple Kale Salad- this is the BEST kale salad recipe! It is made with fresh, hearty kale, Parmesan cheese, toasted almonds, dried cranberries, and a fresh lemon balsamic dressing. Enjoy for lunch or serve along side any meal. Those two words may not be that exciting to you, but please give this kale salad a chance. It is one of my very favorite recipes. I make it ALL of the time. It is my go to salad for an easy lunch, to serve with dinner, or to take to a potluck. It always gets rave reviews, even from people who say they don’t like kale. Again, give kale a chance:) It is made with fresh, hearty kale, salty Parmesan cheese, toasted almonds, sweet dried cranberries, and a fresh lemon balsamic dressing. All of the flavors and textures come together in one bowl to create the perfect salad. It is a 10/10! I seriously could eat this salad every single day of my life.

Salad Ingredients

Kale– the star of the salad. I like to use Lacinato (Tuscan) kale. It is It has a deeper color and is slightly thinner and more tender than curly kale, but curly kale will work too.Olive oil– just a little drizzle to coat the kale before massaging it! Yes, you give the leafy greens a good little massage to soften it up. Kosher salt– the salt also helps soften the kale. Parmesan cheese– salty and so good! Sliced almonds– for a little crunch! Dried cranberries– for a little sweetness!

Kale Salad Dressing

I whisk up a simple lemon balsamic dressing for the salad. Don’t worry, it’s easy and SO much better than any dressing you can buy at the store. For the dressing, you will need the following basic ingredients.

Olive oilFresh lemon juiceBalsamic vinegarDijon mustardHoney (can use pure maple syrup)

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and whisk away! Season with salt and pepper, to taste. I told you it was easy. You will never buy store-bought dressings again! The flavors are SO fresh!

How to Make Kale Salad

If you haven’t tried kale, don’t be intimidated. It is one of my favorite greens and this salad is SO easy!

Kale stems are very tough and chewy so you want to make sure you don’t add them to the salad. Here is the easiest way to remove the stems: squeeze the top of the kale stem and slowly move your hand down the kale stem. The leafy part of the kale will come right off as you go down. It’s magic! Discard the stems and finely chop the kale. You don’t want big chunks of kale, trust me. It is softer and easier to eat in small pieces. Place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with just a little bit of olive oil, you don’t need a ton because you are adding a dressing and the dressing will also make the kale tender. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and massage with your clean fingers until the kale softens a bit.Drizzle the dressing over the kale and toss well. Add the Parmesan cheese, nuts, and dried fruit. Toss again and serve.

Salad Variations

I love that this salad is super simple. The flavors are perfect as is, but if you want to play around, go for it! It is a good base for lots of fun add-ins. Here are some ideas!

Instead of dried cranberries, use dried currants or golden raisins. Add fresh fruit. Berries, apple slices, pear slices, and orange segments are all good options. Mix up the cheese! Feta, goat, white cheddar, and blue cheese are all fabulous! Instead of almonds, use pecans, candied pecans, walnuts, sunflower seeds, or pepitas. Avocado is always a good addition. Toss in chickpeas or crispy roasted chickpeas. For extra protein, add shredded chicken, grilled chicken, shrimp, or even steak. Top with homemade croutons.

How to Store

Any leftover kale salad that has been tossed with the dressing can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. If you want to meal prep the salad, you can store the kale, toppings, and dressing separately. Kale is hardy and can be washed and prepped in advance. Wash, stem, and dry the kale leaves in a salad spinner or with kitchen towels. Store the leaves, wrapped in a paper towel in a zip-top plastic bag, for up to 3 days. The dressing will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. When ready to eat, chop the kale and assemble the salad!