Strawberry Kale Salad

This strawberry kale salad works great as a starter to serve before your main entrée but you can also top it with lean protein and have it as a meal.

Perfectly ripe, freshly picked strawberries might just be my favorite summertime fruit. And store-bought berries simply don’t compare. I grew up picking fresh berries with my mom but don’t do it regularly as an adult for some reason! I see that changing now that Olivia is here. I can’t wait to take her with me even if she won’t quite remember.

A few years ago, I visited my cousin and her new baby, June in North Carolina and we went to the strawberry patch at Gillis Hill Farm. It was so fun to hunt for the best looking berries and taste test a few along the way. 😉 We went home with our bounty of berries and made this strawberry salad and strawberry lemon sangria. It was the best way to celebrate summer!

Strawberry Kale Salad Ingredients:

• baby kale – kale is basically a superfood! It’s packed with nutrients like vitamins A, C and K and low in calories.
• strawberries – besides tasting amazing, strawberries are packed with fiber and surprisingly a lot of water!
• cucumber – you might be surprised to learn that cucumbers actually have a lot of important vitamins and minerals! Make sure to keep the peel on for maximum benefits.
• fresh mint leaves – mint adds amazing flavor to this salad and can help with digestion.
• crumbled feta – feel free to purchase feta cheese crumbles or a log of feta cheese that you crumble yourself. Either option works. If you’re not a feta cheese fan you can always swap in goat cheese or your favorite cheese.
• dried cranberries – for some chewy sweetness.
• roasted sunflower seeds – I prefer roasted sunflower seeds because they tend to have more flavor and crunch.
• balsamic dressing – this amazing dressing ties the salad together.

Notes and Substitutions

One of the reasons I love this salad is how customizable it is! Here are some suggestions for variations and substitutions:

• Dairy-free and vegan – simply skip the feta cheese (or use a vegan option).
• Different dressing – craving a different dressing? This creamy poppyseed dressing and creamy balsamic vinaigrette are both delicious on this salad! You may find that you don’t need much dressing at all, maybe just a drizzle of oil and balsamic vinegar. You could also check out the balsamic vinaigrette dressing I used on my detox salad. It’s delicious!
• Add grains – I love adding grains to my salad for some extra volume and nutrients. Toss in cooked quinoa, rice or farro to make this a heartier salad.
• Add protein – want to enjoy this as a meal-sized salad? Add a protein of your choice! I’ve served it up with grilled chicken, but it would be delicious with crispy tofu or roasted chickpeas.
• Add red onion – want a little added zip?! Add sliced or diced red onion to the salad.
• Switch up the fruit or add more fruit – I think this would be delicious with apples or blueberries as well!
• Swap the seeds for nuts – not a fan of sunflower seeds? You can swap the sunflower seeds for pecans or almonds. These rosemary candied pecans would be a great addition.

What to Serve with Strawberry Kale Salad

This is a great recipe to bring to a potluck or to serve as a meal. Here are some recipes that would be delicious with it:

• Tempeh veggie burgers or black bean sweet potato burgers – fire up that grill and throw a veggie burger on to pair with this salad.
• Spinach and feta turkey burgers – my go-to turkey burger recipe!
• BBQ jackfruit sandwiches – my vegan take on a pulled pork sandwich. This would be so tasty paired with this salad.
• Make a meal-sized salad by adding shredded chicken, grilled lemon pepper shrimp or blackened Salmon on top of the salad.

More Summer Salad Recipes to Try:

• Grilled Salmon Salad with Peaches and Corn
• Mango Jicama Slaw
• Avocado Corn Salad
• Summer Berry Salad with Maple Walnuts
• Mixed Berry Fruit Salad

More Recipes with Kale to Try:

• Mushroom Kale Quinoa Risotto
• Spiralized Carrot and Cucumber Kale Salad with Peanut Sauce
• Garlicky Kale Salad (Inspired by Whole Foods)
• Mexican Street Corn Kale Salad
• Roasted Sweet Potato Kale Frittata

If you make this strawberry kale salad, please be sure to leave a comment and star rating below. Your feedback is super helpful for the EBF team and other readers who are thinking about making the recipe. 

Strawberry Kale Salad

Brittany Mullins

This strawberry salad works great as a starter to serve before your main entrée but you can also top it with lean protein (like grilled chicken, shrimp, or tofu) and have it as your meal.

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Prep Time 15 mins

Total Time 15 mins

Course Lunch/Dinner

Cuisine American

Servings 4

Calories 141 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 5 ounces baby kale I used Earthbound Organics
• 2 cups strawberries hulled and sliced
• 1 cup cucumber sliced
• 1 Tablespoon fresh mint leaves thinly chopped
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta
• 1/4 cup dried cranberries fruit juice sweetened
• 1/4 cup roasted sunflower seeds
• balsamic dressing for topping

Instructions

 

• Prep salad: Place kale in a large mixing bowl, top with all remaining ingredients and mix well. Portion salad into bowls for serving.
• Serve: Drizzle dressing over salad and toss or portion the salad and pass around the dressing to serve.

Notes

Different dressing – craving a different dressing? This creamy poppyseed dressing and creamy balsamic vinaigrette are both delicious on this salad! 

Red onion – feel free to add 1/4 cup sliced red onion to this salad for extra flavor.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving without dressingCalories: 141kcalCarbohydrates: 18gProtein: 5gFat: 6gSodium: 31mgFiber: 4gSugar: 13g

Keyword strawberry kale salad

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