Apple Walnut Kale Salad
This hearty kale salad is filled with crisp apples, salty Parmesan, and crunchy walnuts. A simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, and apple cider vinegar helps this salad come together in just a few minutes!
Tips for a perfect kale salad
- Kale is a tough green and it needs to be massaged to make it tender. After washing your kale, you want to massage it with your hands. I typically massage the dressing right in.
- Use the right dressing. Kale is a very bitter green and it needs something to help soften it a bit. An acidic dressing like the one in this recipe will help break down the fiber in the kale, which makes it easier to chew.
- Remove the kale stems. The stems are extremely bitter and very hard to chew. Do yourself a favor and de-stem the kale. You can either fold the leaves in half and slice the stem off or you can just tear the leaves right off the stem.
Tips for Advanced Preparation
This salad is super easy to prepare and since kale is such a hearty green, you can even make it an hour or two ahead of time without worrying about the kale getting soggy. If you do decide to make it in advance, I recommend waiting to add the walnuts until you’re ready to serve it. This helps them to stay nice and crunchy!
How to Massage Kale
You need to be hands-on with your kale. Don’t skip this step. It’s important because kale is an intense leafy green. It’s tough, and it will stay tough unless you massage it. Get your hands in the bowl and massage the dressing onto the leaves for about a minute. The leaves should turn bright green as they soften.
Make it a Main Dish
If you want to turn this side dish into a complete meal, here are a few of my favorite protein additions:
- Chickpeas or cannellini beans
- Quinoa or couscous
- Wild rice or brown rice
Apple Walnut Kale Salad
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 minutes
- Yield: 2 large salads 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: American
Description
This delicious kale salad is filled with crisp apples, salty Parmesan, and crunchy walnuts. A simple dressing of olive oil, lemon, and apple cider vinegar makes this easy salad come together in just a few minutes!
Ingredients
- 1 large bunch kale (8–10 leaves)
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Pinch of salt
- 1 red or green apple, cored and chopped
- 1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Instructions
- De-stem the kale by pulling the leaves off the stem and tearing into smaller pieces.
- In a small dish, combine the lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, olive oil, and salt, and drizzle it over the kale.
- Using your hands, massage the kale leaves with the dressing.
- Top with apples, Parmesan cheese, and walnuts.
- Serve immediately or keep it in the fridge for up to 2 hours until ready to serve.
More Kale Salad Recipes
What’s your favorite salad green?
This post was originally published in November 2015. Updated August 2020.
I actually just began to like kale. I tried it off and on for a while, but it was hard to swallow (not literally). I don’t know if I developed a taste for it, or what, but it’s good stuff! Except for the kale chips. Don’t think I’ll ever jump on that ship. The recipe sounds awesome!!
I was taking a break from kale also, but then I saw your recipe! Yum, it’s ON!
Love the sweatshirt…and this recipe looks delicious! I just bought so much kale and apples. This one is going on the table this weekend!
I LOVE your sweatshirt!
Also, is it totally weird that I want to eat this for breakfast? I think that means I have reached a whole near weird obsession when it comes to kale 😉
First off, you are adorable.
Second off, this salad sounds so so good! Kale is such a nutritious powerhouse – I really need more of it in my diet.
OMG i need that sweat shirt! and this dish. oh KALE YA!
Yum! I love kale for its heartiness. And when it gets cold and I start craving unhealthy food, I love having new healthy recipes to inspire me.
Mmmm I actually just placed my first relay foods order for pickup today and I’ve got kale on the list. Can’t wait to make hearty fall salads with it! Also, I love that you actually have a kale sweatshirt.
I absolutely love that kale sweatshirt. Marty has a kale tee that I wear from time to time but I’ve been eyeing my own from a shop on ETSY. 🙂 I love making kale salads and kale chips!
Although I do love a good kale salad, I think that spinach still holds my heart.