This crisp Kale Apple Salad features feta cheese, dried cranberries, pecans and crisp apples chunks. It is topped with a Sweet Honey Vinaigrette that balances out the bold flavors and finishes the salad with a silky smooth dressing that everyone raves about.
When it is harvest time we are always busy whipping up a variety of recipes that feature our fresh produce. Some of our favorites include Butternut Soups, Pumpkin Pies and Fall Garden Kale Salads. This scratch made Creamy Balsamic Dressing is also a delicious dressing for this salad.
Kale is one of the staple vegetables that can be found in the family garden, so we always have an abundance of this cruciferous green to add to smoothies, salads, pasta dinners and soups. Kale is loaded with antioxidants and high in vitamins A and C as well as folate.
How do you reduce the bitterness of kale?
It’s true that kale has a strong flavor and does present fairly bitter when eaten plain and raw, however there are lots of tips and techniques you can use to make it more palatable. The stem of the kale leaves is the most bitter part of the plant, so removing the leaves from the stem will help cut down on the bitter taste tremendously.
Eating it in a salad with other ingredients that have strong flavors is also a great idea. The cranberries, feta cheese and apple that we include in our salad can hold their own next to the kale greens. The sweet vinaigrette also mellows out the strong flavor that kale brings.
Do you have to massage Kale?
Massaging the kale leaves will help soften the otherwise strong texture, and make it more palatable to eat. It is also believed to help the leaves release their bitter compounds and improve the flavor.
Once you remove the leaves from the stem gently rub them in small bunches in your hands. Be gentle with the leaves and cautious not to overdo it, otherwise you risk the leaves breaking down and becoming wilted.
KALE APPLE SALAD WITH HONEY DRESSING RECIPE
This Kale Apple Salad with our Honey Vinaigrette is the perfect side dish. It also makes a delightful light meal on its own. It is very filling, nutritious and fiber rich. By making your own dressing you are cutting down on unnecessary sugars, low quality oils and preservatives that fill the store bought dressings.
Apples, pecans, kale, and cranberries go well together. Pears would also make a scrumptious substitute for the apples, and the pecans can of course be swapped out for any choice of nut you prefer. The feta cheese adds a tasty depth of flavor and a good dose of healthy fats.
You can easily tone down the sweetness of the vinaigrette by using less honey if you find it to be too much.
Be sure to massage the kale leaves before cutting them into salad bite sized pieces.
- Remove tough kale leaf from the ribs by cutting along side the ribs or stripping the leaves off with your fingers.
- Sprinkle the leaves with a bit of kosher salt, olive oil, vinegar or lemon juice to cut the bitterness of the leaves even more.
- Massage only one or two whole leaves one at a time.
- Gently massage the kale between your fingers until you feel the leaf start to soften.
- Massage the leaves until you like the softened texture being careful not to over do it or the leaves will become wilted.
What other foods can I eat with Kale?
Kale is a very nutritious and versatile green that can be enjoyed raw, boiled, baked, and blended in smoothies. We are sharing some more ideas for how to enjoy kale in a salad or light side dish that is easy to prepare and super tasty.
- Quinoa and orzo make great side dishes with kale
- Avocado
- Mixed nuts and seeds like pumpkin, pine nuts and peanuts
- Cheeses like parmesan, feta and sharp cheddar
- Crispy chopped bacon or diced ham
- Diced squash butternut or acorn
- Chicken salads caramelized onions and brussel sprouts
- Mexican street corn and kale salad
- Fresh berry salad with kale and feta
- Kale, cabbage and carrot pad thai salad
Kale Apple Salad with Honey Dressing
This delicious Kale Apple salad is dressed with a tasty sweet honey vinaigrette. Pops of feta cheese and cranberries laced throughout add tangy flavor. This healthy salad is Low-Sodium and Gluten-Free.
Ingredients
- 5 cups chopped kale
- 2 small diced apples
- 1/4 cup cranberries, dried
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
- 1/4 cup feta cheese
Dressing:
- 4 tbsp honey
- 4 tbsp olive oil
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/8 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Before you begin, massage the kale leaves if you want them softer.
- Place the kale in the bottom of a bowl followed by the rest of the ingredients.
- Whisk together the dressing ingredients and pour them over the top of the salad.
- Refrigerate after serving and enjoy!
Notes
Kale message is a process used to soften the kale.
We usually eat our raw kale leaves just as they come out of the garden. EXCEPT we pull the leafy part off the kale ribs. The ribs are tough and VERY chewy. The leaves are springy and resilient.
If you prefer to have a softer leaf in your salad you may massage the kale. This is done after you remove the leaf off the ribs of the kale. The process takes about 3 to 5 minutes.
- Put the kale leaf in a bowl with a bit of oil.
- Now dig in with your hands. Pick up the leaves gently between your thumbs and fingers.
- Gently massage the kale between your finger until you feel the leaf start to soften.
- Your kale is massaged as much as you want to continue this process.
Nutrition Information
Yield
10Serving Size
1 cupAmount Per Serving Calories 149Total Fat 9gSaturated Fat 2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 7gCholesterol 3mgSodium 78mgCarbohydrates 19gFiber 3gSugar 14gProtein 2g
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Homemade Food Junkie Kale Apple Salad is Featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine Best Salads For Fall SlideShow
Recipe adapted from: Jessica in the Kitchen
Judith
Monday 10th of October 2022
Recipe was unable to be found. Adds took over! Please send direct link. Thanks
Diane
Monday 10th of October 2022
Hi Judith, I'm so sorry. Somehow the recipe on this post was deleted. I have put it back into the post now. You will find a 'Jump to Recipe' button at the top of the post so you can go straight to it without scrolling. I hope you give this salad a try. It's one of our favorites. Have a great day!
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Wednesday 20th of April 2022
[…] Delicious Kale Apple salad laced with feta cheese, and cranberries, and dressed with a tasty sweet honey vinaigrette. Get the recipe. […]
Mona Temchin
Sunday 15th of September 2019
Very tasty salad and so easy. Used dinosaur kale and honeycrisp apples from the local farmer’s market. Yum! (I did find I only needed half the recommended amount of dressing.)
Kayti Lavergne
Sunday 15th of September 2019
So happy you enjoyed this salad! Thank you for your comment!
Cyprianne
Tuesday 15th of August 2017
This salad is great! I love making it ahead of time and instead of apple i use pear and it doesn't go brown. I also double up on the dressing recipe so that i can always have some on had. Thank you for such a great recipe!
Diane
Tuesday 15th of August 2017
Hi Cyprianne, Thank you for Letting us know you love this recipe. We are so glad it's working for you. What a great idea to double the dressing and keep it on hand.
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Wednesday 29th of March 2017
[…] Kale Apple with Honey Dressing […]