Spicy Kale Salad
This delicious kale salad gets its heat from crushed red pepper flakes. Combined with salty cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice, this salad is simple to make but loaded with flavor.

I’ve tried a lot of kale salads. If it’s on the menu, I have to try it. One of my very favorite kale salads is from a local restaurant here in Richmond called Tazza Kitchen. Their kale salad is so simple but so delicious, I just had to try making a similar salad at home. I love spicy things so this salad was perfect for me but if you’re sensitive to spice then you may want to add a little less crushed red pepper.

Tips for a Better Kale Salad
- Kale is a tough green and it needs massaging to make it tender. After you’ve washed your kale, you want to literally 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 this one with lemon juice, will help break down the fiber in the kale which will make 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.

The Best Dressing for Kale Salad
I like using a simple dressing of olive oil and lemon with this salad, because the crushed red pepper flakes add a strong, spicy flavor. Typically when I’m making kale salad, I like to use olive oil and something acidic like vinegar or lemon juice. I have a whole post with kale salad dressing ideas if you want to try something new!
What to Serve with Kale Salad
You could turn this into a main dish by adding your favorite protein like Roasted Chickpeas or Tempeh Bacon. Or you could serve this as a side dish to Pasta Alla Norma or Roasted Red Pepper and Tomato Soup!
I loved the kick of the spicy red pepper flakes. If you’re sensitive to spice, start with just a pinch and add more from there. The other great thing about this salad is, most of the ingredients are fairly common, so I usually have all of these things on hand! I’ll definitely be making this salad again soon!


Spicy Kale Salad
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 0 minutes
- Total Time: 10 mins
- Yield: 2 1x
- Category: Salad
- Method: No Cook
- Cuisine: Salad
Description
This delicious kale salad gets its heat from crushed red pepper flakes. Combined with salty cheese and a squeeze of lemon juice, this salad is simple to make but loaded with flavor.
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale (curly kale or dinosaur kale) or about 8 large leaves
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Grana Padano or Parmesan cheese
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Crushed red pepper to taste (I used 1/4 teaspoon)
- 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or almonds (optional)
Instructions
- Wash the kale leaves and de-stem the leaves by removing the ribs. (This is the bitter tough part in the center.)
- Shred the kale using a sharp knife into thin strips. Dinosaur kale is a little easier to make into strips but if you’re using curly kale, just roughly chop it.
- In a small dish, whisk together the lemon juice and olive oil until combined.
- Massage the kale leaves with the oil and lemon mixture until the kale begins to soften.
- Top with cheese, pine nuts, and red pepper just before serving.
Keywords: spicy kale salad

Looking for other kale salad recipes? Here are a few of my favorites!

For some reason I forget about kale in the summer, that just is a shame! I’ll be sure to pick some up this weekend, it really is my favorite! Thanks for sharing this super easy recipe and reminding me to get some kale!
This looks so yummy…lemon, spice and cheese are my FAVORITE and then you threw in the superfood kale in there…just perfect I cannot wait to try it!
Kale + parm + a little lemony dressing = YUM! Thanks for sharing your version of this salad. Looks delicious!
I don’t love spicy things but I love me some kale!
I have to try this! Love that you added spice to this!
I really like spicy food but never thought about integrating it into my salad! I like this anD will have to try it out!
This looks simple and yummy! I am about to start Whole30 and will keep try this and just omit the cheese. The spice will make up for it, right? I love spicy but not too spicy. Thanks for sharing!
Pine nuts should be on every salad. Forever and ever. Amen. 🙂
Can’t wait to try this recipe. I keep hearing the best kale salads are massaged–and I’m pretty sure the ones I’ve liked have been! 🙂 Thanks, Liz!
I love a good kale salad when I am at a restaurant. They always make it better than I do lol. I do like spicy but not too spicy. Have a great weekend.