This easy kale salad is made with lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur or flat-leaf kale. Crunchy cabbage, salty Parmesan cheese, and roasted almonds create a delicious, simple salad!

lacinato kale salad in a bowl

What is Lacinato Kale?

There are lots of different types of kale- like curly kale, baby kale, and lacinato kale. Lacinato kale, sometimes called dinosaur kale. Lacinato kale has large, flat, textured leaves. It’s my favorite because it’s easy to wash and easy to de-stem.

Lacinato kale leaves

To remove the stems, use your hands to tear the leaves away from the stem. Discard the stems, as they’re very bitter and hard to chew. Once you’ve removed the stems, massage the leaves by squeezing them a few times to soften them.

Chopped kale on a cutting board

Pile the kale leaves and use a sharp knife to carefully cut the kale into thin strips.

chopped lacinato kale on a cutting board

Next, slice the purple cabbage into thin strips. You can do this with a sharp knife or mandoline slicer.

chopped purple cabbage on a cutting board

Then, whisk together the dressing. Add the kale and cabbage to a large bowl and massage the dressing into the kale and cabbage. Then top with Parmesan cheese and sprinkle with almonds.

Tips for Making Kale Salad

  • When making a kale salad, be sure to remove the stems from the kale leaves. The stems are very bitter and hard to chew, so removing them will give you a better flavor and texture.
  • Massage the dressing into the kale leaves. This helps break down the leaves and soften them so they’re more tender. It also helps distribute the dressing evenly.
  • Because the ingredients in this salad are hearty, you can actually make this recipe in advance! There’s no need to worry about wilting. You can make this salad up to 5 hours in advance.
Lacinato kale salad in a bowl with shredded cheese

Kale Salad Ingredients

  • Kale leaves- for this recipe I used lacinato kale
  • Purple cabbage- you can buy it pre-shredded or chop your own.
  • Almonds- I like to use sliced almonds for a nice crunch
  • Parmesan cheese- Use freshly shredded for maximum flavor!

How to Make the Salad Dressing

This kale salad dressing is simple but delicious! Whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, and honey. Add salt and pepper to taste. You can double this dressing recipe if you want to make extra for leftovers! If you want to switch things up, I put together a list of kale salad dressing ideas if you want to try something new!

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Lacinato kale salad in a bowl with shredded cheese

Easy Lacinato Kale Salad

  • Author: Liz Thomson
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 0 minutes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Salad
  • Method: No Cook
  • Cuisine: Vegetarian
Print Recipe

Description

This easy kale salad is made with lacinato kale, also known as dinosaur or flat-leaf kale. Crunchy cabbage, salty Parmesan cheese, and roasted almonds create a delicious, simple salad!

Ingredients

Scale

For the salad:

  • 1 bunch of Lacinato kale, destemmed and chopped
  • 1/2 head of purple cabbage, finely shredded
  • 1/4 cup Marcona almonds (or sliced almonds)
  • 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

For the dressing:

  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon honey
  • Pinch of salt

Instructions

  1. For the dressing, simply whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, and salt.
  2. Add the destemmed kale and cabbage to a large bowl.
  3. Drizzle with dressing and massage the dressing into the kale and cabbage.
  4. Add the almonds and Parmesan cheese and toss until combined.
  5. Add salt to taste, if needed.

Keywords: lacinato kale salad

If you want to try kale in other salads, here are a few of my favorite kale salad recipes!

Looking for a dish to serve with this kale salad? Here are a few of my favorite ideas:

air fryer chickpeas

Crispy Roasted Chickpeas– Toss these on top of your salad to turn it into a quick main dish.

moroccan spiced soup

Moroccan Chickpea Soup– This is a hearty soup recipe with red potatoes and tasty chickpeas!

 Have you tried lacinato kale?