This kale salad recipe is tasty and delicious. It’s packed with so many flavors and textures and is tossed in a delicious lemon vinaigrette. This salad in a jar makes the perfect grab and go lunch or dinner. You are going to love it!

Kale Salad Recipe

This kale salad recipe is loaded with so many wholesome ingredients and toppings. Starting with a delicious base like massaged kale really makes the options endless. This salad is topped with chicken, crunchy apples, fresh veggies, nuts, dried fruit and cheese. The combination of these ingredients comes together so nicely! This massaged kale salad is super tasty, made with just 9 ingredients, and is tossed in a homemade lemon vinaigrette dressing.

Here’s why you’ll love this kale salad recipe

Here are a few reasons why you’ll love this salad:

This salad makes the best make ahead meal or grab and go lunch.

It’s so easy to make!

This salad can be made dairy free by omitting the cheese.

Kale apple salad is loaded with fresh and wholesome ingredients.

This salad is gluten free.

It can be made in a large mason jar or a salad bowl.

Additionally, try this chopped salad recipe with chickpeas for more salad inspiration.

Salad ingredients

To make this kale salad recipe, you will need the below ingredients.

Kale, massaged in 1 tsp oil, 1 tsp lemon juice and salt. Massaging the kale is key so don’t skip this step.

Grilled chicken, seasoned. To add some protein to this salad, make sure you have cooked chicken on hand.

Apple, diced. Fugi, pink lady or honey crisp apples work well in this recipe.

Carrots, peeled and chopped. For some added crunch and flavor we’re going to add some carrots.

Avocado, diced. Avocado is always a good addition when it comes to salads. Not only does it at nutritional value and healthy fats but it also adds creaminess.

Pickled onions (1/2 cup acv, 1/2 cup water, 1/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp honey) How to make quick pickled onions is outlined below.

Slivered almonds add the best crunch and flavor.

Dried cranberries add perfect bites of sweetness and increased flavor.

Parmesan cheese is always a great addition to salads! Omit for dairy free.

Kale salad dressing ingredients

This homemade dressing requires just 5 ingredients.

Olive oil
Lemon juice
Honey
Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper

How to make

This recipe makes one individual kale salad in a jar but, feel free to scale it up and make more! It’s so versatile and can be made into a larger batch. Grab a large 32 ounce, wide mouth mason jar or a large salad bowl. Storing the salad in a mason jar is great to take on the go or save for a later date. If you’re going to enjoy the salad immediately I recommend using a large salad bowl.

When you’re ready to make the salad, gather the chopped kale. If you buy kale leaves, make sure to remove the steams and then finely chop the leaves. Now, in a large bowl, add the chopped kale, olive oil, lemon, juice and salt. Using your hands, massage the oil mixture into the kale. Massage for a minute or two. Kale has a tough texture, so finely chopping it helps minimize the toughness (plus it makes it much easier to eat)! And massaging the kale is another step to get tender and easy-to-chew lettuce.
Time to assemble the salad. Add the kale, chicken, apple, carrots, avocado, onions, almonds, cranberries and cheese to the mason jar.
Store the mason jar salad in the fridge until ready to enjoy.
If you’re enjoying the salad immediately, top it with the dressing and dig in!

How to make quick pickled onions

This recipe calls for pickled onions! And if you haven’t had them before you may be wondering what are quick pickled onions? They are simply sliced onions that are stored in a jar with a vinegar, water, salt and honey solution. You can really pickle any vegetables that you love. Just simply submerge the vegetables in the brine mixture and let them rest for 2 hours. Here are the ingredients we are working with.

Red onion
1/2 cup acv
~1/2 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp honey

Let’s take a few minutes to break down the steps.

Fill up your 16oz mason jar about 3/4 of the with sliced onions
Add 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar and fill up the rest with warm water.
Add a sprinkle of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of honey. Mix Gently.
Put on the lid and let the jar sit at room temperature for an hour.
Then store the jar in the fridge for another hour.
Enjoy!

How to make kale salad dressing

Making this kale salad dressing could not be any easier! It only takes about a minute to whip up. All you really need is an oil, a vinegar and seasonings. Also, homemade dressings won’t have any added funky ingredients or preservatives. So you can feel good about adding it to your salads.

In a small jar or container, add all the dressing ingredients.

Using a fork or a small whisk, mix all the ingredients together.

Store the dressing in the fridge until ready to use.

Substitutes and variations

Lettuce. The base of this salad is massaged kale. However, feel free to use arugula, spinach, or butter lettuce. Any crispy, fresh lettuce will work!

Dressing. This salad pairs perfectly with the lemon vinaigrette however, feel free to use any dressing you love. I recommend using another vinaigrette or a store bought vinaigrette.

Omit the cheese for a dairy free salad. Or if you don’t like parmesan, feel free to use feta or goat cheese!

Make it crunchy. Add some more almonds and dried cranberries. Or add some other crunchy nuts like walnuts and cashews.

Other recipes you’ll love

If you love this recipe, certainly give some of these other salad recipes a try.

Chopped Salad Recipe with Chickpeas

Lemon Kale Caesar Salad

Blackened Steak Salad

Strawberry Farro Salad

Did you make this recipe

If you make this kale apple salad, I would really appreciate a review! You can also find and follow me on Instagram and Pinterest. I would love for you to follow along and share what you make: tag me @braesbites. I love hearing from you!

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