Kale Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette

When the body craves a nutritious meal, try this crunchy kale salad recipe is tossed in a bright apple cider vinegar dressing. Each serving contains a healthy mix of chopped greens, fruits, nuts, and creamy goat cheese.

Why It Works

A colorful bowl of kale salad is a nutrient-rich meal that’s easy to make. This staple superfood can be a bit intimidating to prepare but don’t worry. I’ll show you my simple tips for breaking down the curly leaves and taming the bitter notes.

The rough texture of these leafy greens is ideal for pairing with vinaigrettes. I toss them with a sweet and tangy apple cider vinegar dressing to balance their sharp flavors. This recipe includes crisp apples, creamy avocado, and crunchy pecans. It’s a satisfying side dish, but you can always add a protein of your choice and make it an entree salad.

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Kale: There are various types of kale, and each one delivers a unique taste and texture. For this recipe, I recommend using either green or purple curly kale. The wavy leaves are tender compared to the more rubbery lacinato or Tuscan varieties. The rough surface also holds onto the dressing, effectively coating each slice. 
• Apples: Chunks of sweet and tart apples like Gala, Fuji, or Honeycrisp are my top pick for fruit fruit to add to the salad.
• Avocado: Avocado add healthy monounsaturated fats and creamy bites in the raw kale salad.
• Nuts: Chopped pecans add an enjoyable short crunch.
• Dried Fruit: Dried cranberries add a pop of sweetness and tangy flavor.
• Cheese: Tangy goat cheese delivers a creamy texture.
• Dressing: The perfect balance of sweet and tangy, apple cider vinegar is whisked together with honey, fresh lemon juice and zest, salt, pepper, and good olive oil like extra-virgin.

See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).

Ingredient Substitutions

Now that you know how to make the best kale salad recipe, it’s easy to customize! Try these delicious options:

• Kale Swaps: Baby kale is a good substitute for their smaller leaves, and they have a milder taste. However, trim off the long stems and don’t massage the leaves since you won’t be chopping and rinsing off the bitter compounds.
• Vinegar Options: Use a mild vinegar like champagne vinegar, white wine vinegar, or red wine vinegar instead of apple cider vinegar.
• Fruit: Use other types of apples like Granny Smith if you enjoy a more sour bite. Use fresh fruit like pears, mandarins, or peaches when in season.
• Nuts: Walnuts, pine nuts, honey roasted peanuts, almonds, and even sunflower seeds are also good picks.
• Cheese Options: Sprinkle on parmesan cheese, blue cheese, gorgonzola, fresh mozzarella, or cubes or cheddar.
• Add Protein: Toss in legumes like chickpeas or kidney beans, quinoa, tofu, diced chicken, grilled beef, or shrimp.
• Add More Veggies: Add kale, cauliflower, broccoli, or baby spinach.

How to Make Kale Salad

Step 1: Prepare the Kale 

Kale comes in long bushy stalks that need to be broken down. I use a chef’s knife to separate the leaves from the tough center stem, making it easier to chew. I massage the leaves to coax out the bitter compounds, then cut them into ½-inch thick slices. We want the leaves to be identifiable, but not so large that it takes longer than a few seconds to chew. Rinse the chopped leaves to remove a good portion of the bitter compounds, then dry well in a salad spinner.

Expert Tip: Kale is one vegetable that gets the massage spa treatment. It’s known for its bitter taste, which becomes more apparent once you start chewing. That’s because it contains sulfur-containing compounds called isothiocyanates, that releases when ruptured.

Step 2: Assemble the Salad 

A combination of sweet diced apples, pecans, goat cheese, dried cranberries, and creamy avocado creates a more balanced and satisfying salad with contrasting textures and flavors with the kale. The fruit adds natural sweetness and juiciness, while the nuts contribute crunch and healthy fats for richness. Cheese provides salty, savory umami notes that enhance the overall flavor complexity.

Step 3: Make the Dressing 

To add brightness to the salad, I pair it with an apple cider vinegar dressing. This type of vinegar has a soft, savory flavor that doesn’t overpower the greens. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and zest provide a nice citrus note. Dijon mustard offers a hint of spiciness and helps emulsify the dressing, slowing down the liquid and fat separation. Using a sweetener like honey is key to balancing the bitterness of the greens. Its flavor lingers so that the taste perception of the kale isn’t as strong. Olive oil adds thickness to the dressing while coating some of the tongue receptors to block undesirable flavors. 

Ingredient Chemistry: Slowly whisking oil into the dressing breaks it into tiny droplets that disperse throughout the water-based ingredients, creating a thicker, more stable emulsion. Emulsifiers in mustard and honey help coat the droplets and slow separation of the oil and water phases.

Step 4: To Serve

Tossing the salad with just enough dressing lightly coats the ingredients without weighing down the greens or making them soggy. I like to crumble to goat cheese on top right before serving for distinct bites of the pungent cheese.

What to serve this with

• Grilled shrimp or pan-seared salmon if you are feeling fancy
• Slice baked chicken breast or tenders for a lean option
• Chop up carne asada steak into cubes and serve on top

Frequently Asked Questions