Easy Kale Salad
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Last updated on Apr 04, 2025
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This easy kale salad comes together in less than 10 minutes with simple ingredients. It makes for a great side salad or can be topped with protein for full meal.
Introducing the best kale salad recipe!
I know kale salads can be hit or miss, but hear me out. Massaging the kale with a bright, zesty lemon dressing softens the leaves, making them tender, flavorful, and easier to digest. Then comes the best part—crunchy roasted almonds and salty parmesan for the perfect balance of textures and flavors. I could eat this every single day!
And it’s beyond easy to make. Just 10 minutes and one bowl for a simple side salad or light meal. If I’m making it for lunch, I love adding grilled chicken or air fryer salmon for extra protein. It’s fresh, delicious, and packed with flavor—kale salad done right.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Salad
- Nutrient-Packed – Kale is a superfood that’s high in fiber and packed with tons of vitamins and minerals, like vitamin C, vitamin K, vitamin A and calcium.
- Versatile – This salad can be enjoyed as a simple side salad to just about any meal or add some protein and additional toppings to make it a meal-sized salad.
- Easy to Make – It’s so simple to make. Just whisk the dressing together, massage the kale and serve!
- Packed with Flavor – This recipe is super simple, but still packed with flavor thanks for the roasted and salted almonds, parmesan cheese and light lemon dressing.
Ingredients Needed
- kale – the star of the show! I used curly green kale but you can swap it for Lacinato kale (otherwise known as dinosaur kale) instead. I’ve made this recipe with both varieties and they were both delicious!
- almonds – adds a nice crunch and some healthy fats to this salad. I used roasted and salted almonds roughly chopped, but feel free to use raw almonds or swap them with another nut or seed of choice.
- parmesan cheese – adds a creamy, salty element that pairs beautifully with the kale. You could skip the cheese or use dairy-free cheese to make this salad vegan.
- lemon dressing – a simple dressing made by combining extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon juice, fresh garlic, dijon mustard, honey (or maple syrup), salt and pepper.
Kale Salad Variations
I love the simplicity of this kale salad recipe, but if you want to play around with different mix-in’s and/or toppings here are some ideas:
- Switch up the dressing: I love the simple lemon dressing, but feel free to use your favorite dressing. Some other ideas are: balsamic vinaigrette, apple cider vinaigrette and red wine vinaigrette.
- Add dried fruit: For a sweet bite mix in some raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or dates.
- Add veggies: If you want to add more veggies to this salad go for it! Cherry tomatoes, red onion, cucumber and carrots would all be great additions.
- Swap the nuts: Swap the almonds with another nut or seed of choice like pecans, walnuts, sunflower seed or pepitas (pumpkin seeds). For a more decadent topping add these candied pecans or candied walnuts.
- Change up the cheese: Swap the parmesan cheese with feta cheese, goat cheese, blue cheese or another cheese of choice. To make this recipe dairy-free use a vegan cheese or skip it all together.
- Add avocado: For some more healthy fats and creaminess serve this salad with chopped avocado.
How to Make
With just four simple steps, you’ll have a fresh and flavorful kale salad ready to enjoy. It’s the perfect healthy side or light meal that comes together in no time!
Step 1: Wash the kale thoroughly under cold water, pat it dry, then remove the stems by folding the leaves in half and tearing them away. Chop the leaves into bite-sized pieces.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combine your lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, dijon mustard, honey or maple syrup and a pinch of salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
Step 3: Add the chopped kale to the bowl with the dressing and massage it with your hands until well coated. This helps soften the leaves, reduce bitterness, and enhance the flavor.
Step 4: Finish by topping the salad with freshly grated parmesan cheese and chopped roasted almonds. Toss to combine and serve!
Brittany’s Tip
- Dry the kale well: After washing use a salad spinner or pat dry with paper towels or kitchen towels. Excess water can water down the dressing and make the salad less flavorful.
How to Serve
This easy kale salad is so great because of how versatile it is. You can either add more ingredients to it for a hearty salad, eat it as is for something light and refreshing or enjoy it as a side dish with your favorite meal. Here are some pairing suggestions:
- Add protein – Turn it into a meal by topping it with maple turmeric chicken, grilled chicken, air fryer salmon, tempeh, or air fryer chickpeas for a plant-based option.
- On the side – Serve it as a fresh, vibrant side with a turkey burger, cauliflower grits with blackened shrimp, or baked eggplant parmesan.
- With a sandwich – Pair it with an autumn turkey sandwich, BBQ jackfruit sandwich, or hearts of palm BBQ sandwich for a satisfying meal.
- With soup – This salad is a great addition to cozy bowls like beef chili, brunswick stew, butternut squash soup, quinoa soup, or vegetarian chili.
- Top with croutons – Add a crunch with homemade sourdough croutons or your favorite store-bought croutons.
- Add grains – Make it more filling by mixing in a scoop of cooked quinoa or farro.
How to Store Leftovers
Any leftover kale salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Just a note that the almonds will get softer as they sit with the dressing.
If you want to meal prep this salad I recommend storing the kale, toppings and dressing desperately in the fridge until you’re ready to assemble the salad.
Frequently Asked Questions
The two most common types of kale that you’ll likely find at your local grocery store are curly kale and lacinto kale (also known as dinosaur kale or tuscan kale). I’ve made this salad with both curly kale and lacinto kale and both turned out great!
Curly kale is what I used in these photos. It’s hearty and rigid and looks curly! It comes in red and green versions, which are pretty much the same besides the color. The flavor is slightly peppery and bitter, but once massaged with oil or dressing the leaves becomes less bitter and soften. Dinosaur kale has dark green, flat leaves and the flavor is milder, sweeter and less bitter than curly kale.
Ultimately, the choice between using curly kale and lacinato kale depends on your personal taste preferences and what you have access to, but either options work great in this kale salad!
Absolutely! Raw kale is a superfood and packed with nutrients making it perfect for salads.
The first step when working with kale is to wash the leaves thoroughly under cold water and then pat dry. Once washed and dried, it’s time to remove the stems which are thick and tough. I like to fold the leaf in half, holding the stem, and rip the leaves away from the stem. Once the stems are removed, simply chop your kale into bite-sized pieces. Now, your kale is ready to be massaged and used in your salad!
Massaging the kale leaves with the dressing helps to break down the cell structure of the kale so it becomes less bitter, tender, more palatable and easier to digest. It also tastes better, IMO. Don’t skip this step!
Massaging the kale with dressing or oil, salt and an acidic ingredient like vinegar or lemon juice helps to break down the bitter compounds in kale making the leafy green more palatable.
More Kale Recipes to Try
Be sure to check out the full collection of salad recipes on EBF!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please consider leaving a ⭐ star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below.
Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 bunch raw curly green kale or lacinto kale, washed, de-stemmed and dried
- ½ cup roasted and salted almonds, roughly chopped
- ½ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon honey, or maple syrup
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- De-stem, chop and wash your kale. Use a salad spinner to dry it or dry it with paper towels or kitchen towels.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together lemon juice, garlic, olive oil, dijon, hone (or maple syrup), salt and pepper.
- Add your chopped and dry kale to the bowl with the dressing and using your hands massage the kale with the dressing.
- Top with parmesan cheese and chopped almonds and serve!
Notes
- Switch up the dressing: I love the simple lemon dressing, but feel free to use your favorite dressing. Some other ideas are: balsamic vinaigrette, apple cider vinaigrette and red wine vinaigrette.
- Storage: Leftover kale salad should be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Just a note that the almonds will get softer as they sit with the dressing.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
kindly share recipes for butter chicken as well I have been looking for it for many days. I searched for the rates of chicken, cream, and milk but I couldn’t find the recipe for it.
Hi Umair – Here is my recipe for Slow Cooker Butter Chicken, enjoy!