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Pinch Me Good! » Quick and Easy Salads » Easy Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing

Easy Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing

April 15, 2018 by Amy 43 Comments

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Chopped kale in a glass bowl mixed up with nuts, raisins, shredded cheese and lemon zest with silver serving spoons in the bowl and salad dressing in a white jar with lemon slices in a bowl behind it
Close up of mixed kale with golden raisins and parmesan cheese
Mixed up salad with kale and topped with parmesan cheese, nut and lemon zest
Pouring lemon dressing over a kale salad

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This Easy Kale Salad recipe is packed full of fresh, hearty kale, tangy, homemade lemon dressing, crunchy nuts and sweet, plump raisins. You can make it ahead and have it ready in less than 10 minutes! This is a quick and easy salad recipe you don’t want to miss!

Easy kale salad mixed up in a round, glass bowl with serving spoons in the bowl and a white pourer with lemon dressing and a bowl of sliced lemon behind it.

This kale salad has become such a staple in our family.  I make it for almost every family gathering (at the request of my family) as well as those times when we are in a dinner salad rut.  It’s a close second to this crispy chickpea kale caesar salad that is also pretty popular. 

Even people that claim they do not like kale, absolutely LOVE this salad recipe!  It has that heartiness from the dark, leafy kale, crunchiness from the pistachios, sweetness from the raisins, and a beautiful pucker from the tangy, bold lemon dressing.  

Chopped kale greens in a glass salad bowl topped with shredded cheese, lemon zest and nuts

How to prepare kale for salad

One of the most important things to mention when it comes to prepping raw kale is that you must wash it first and then massage it.  Kale can be gritty and full of little bits of dirt, especially curly kale, so it is important to rinse it first. 

How to massage kale

Taking the time to massage your kale will help soften those rough leaves and make them easier to eat and digest.

  • After you wash the kale place it into a salad bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice, and a pinch of salt.  
  • Use your fingers to massage it for a few minutes. It will turn beautiful and dark green and delicious right before your eyes. It’s magic! This is a great step for the kids to help out with. 

This will get it sweet and tender, and make it easier to work with and digest. Massaging your kale helps to break down the fibers, and it gets so dark and merely gorgeous in my opinion.

Easy Kale Salad Recipe Ingredients

Bunch of kale, sliced lemons, bowl of shelled pistachios, golden raisins, parmesan cheese, olive oil, vinegar and maple syrup on a white surface with labels for each ingredients

 

How to make the best kale salad with lemon dressing

  1.  Make the dressing.  Add all dressing ingredients to a bowl or mason jar and mix or shake well to emulsify. 
  2. Wash and massage the kale. See my comments above on how to do this. It is very easy and so worth the effort. 
  3. Chop the kale. Use a sharp kitchen or vegetable knife to chop the kale into thin strips.  To do this just take a good bunch of the kale, roll it up like a cigar and run your knife through it. Then add it back to the salad bowl.  
  4. Add the remaining ingredients: Top the sliced kale with the rest of the salad ingredients: Golden raisins, pistachios or pumpkin seeds, parmesan and lemon zest. 
  5. Dress and toss the salad. Pour the tangy lemon dressing onto the salad and toss well to season all of the ingredients in the incredible lemon dressing and serve. 
Lemon kale salad dressing in a clear mason jar with a silver spoon in the jar
Round serving bowl with green kale, pumpkin seeds, lemon zest, shredded parmesan cheese and golden raisins in it with salad dressing in a jar behind it

Pouring lemon dressing over a kale salad
Mixed up salad with kale and topped with parmesan cheese, nut and lemon zest

Get full list of ingredients and recipe instructions in the recipe card below.

It is so unbelievably tasty. The tangy lemon dressing brings this salad to a whole new level.

This is literally the perfect make and prep easy kale salad ever!  I love that you can use this as a super quick meal prep recipe and eat it any day of the week.  

Easy Kale Salad Tips and Variations

  • You want to make sure to wash the kale really well first since it can hold a lot of dirt and become gritty (nobody wants that).  Then you want to either add the rinsed kale to a clean kitchen towel, close it up and shake it a little to remove excess moisture or use a salad spinner to do this.  This will keep the greens nice and crisp 
  • Always massage kale for salads.  This will allow the kale to break down and become softer, which makes it easier to eat and digest. See the section above on tips for how to massage kale. 
  • You can prep your kale ahead and have it ready to go for making salads all week long. Check out this post on how to store kale for more tips. 
  • Not a fan of lemon?  Swap the lemon zest and juice with the zest and juice of an orange or switch up the dressing altogether and try this Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette instead. 
  • Make this kale salad recipe dairy free and just leave out the parmesan cheese or use vegan parmesan cheese. 
  • Mix up the nuts and use pecans, walnuts or pumpkin seeds. 

Chopped kale in a glass bowl mixed up with nuts, raisins, shredded cheese and lemon zest with silver serving spoons in the bowl and salad dressing in a white jar with lemon slices in a bowl behind it

Serving suggestions

Here are some of my favorite ways to serve this healthy salad. 

  • Serve it with some protein such as Turkey Burgers, Healthy Turkey Meatloaf, Turkey Chili, or this Veggie Chicken Pizza Bake.
  • Enjoy it alongside some Chicken Pad  Thai, Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese, or Creamy Cauliflower Gnocchi.
  • Pair it with a comforting soup such as Creamy Tomato Soup, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, Lentil Soup, or Creamy Asparagus Soup. 

More Healthy and Delicious Salad Recipes to try:

If you are looking for more quick and healthy salad recipes, here are some of my favorites that I Make all the time!

  • 10 Minute Italian Chopped Salad
  • Kale Brussel Sprout Salad With Lemon Shallot Vinaigrette
  • Autumn Chopped Kale Salad With Quinoa
  • Roasted Beets and Butternut Squash Salad
  • Simple Kale and Roasted Sweet Potato Salad
  • Easy Salmon Salad

Close up of mixed kale with golden raisins and parmesan cheese

 

Did you make this recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.

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Mixed up salad with kale and topped with parmesan cheese, nut and lemon zest

Easy Kale Salad With Lemon Dressing


★★★★★

4.9 from 9 reviews

  • Author: Amy Estes
  • Total Time: 10 minutes
  • Yield: 10 1x
Print Recipe
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Description

This is a simple, easy kale salad recipe that is tangy, crunchy, and full of incredible lemon flavor. Easy to make-ahead and ready in less than 10 minutes!


Ingredients

Scale

For the Kale Salad

  • 2 Bunches dark leafy kale or curly kale (thinly sliced) – about 5-6 cups 
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • kosher salt 
  • black pepper
  • 1/2 cup pistachios or pumpkin seeds 
  • 1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cranberries
  • 1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
  • Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)

For the Lemon Dressing

  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 2 lemons)
  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

  1. Add the sliced kale to a medium-size mixing bowl or salad bowl, drizzle on a little olive oil and sprinkle of salt and pepper and lightly massage it for 1 minute to help break it down a little.
  2. Add the 1/2 cup chopped pistachios, 1/2 cup golden raisins, 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese, and the zest of 1 lemon to the kale and lightly toss everything together.
  3. Make the dressing: Add the juice from the 2 lemons, 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey, 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt, and 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper to a mason jar with a lid and shake it well until it emulsifies. You can also add all dressing ingredients to a small bowl and whisk until it emulsifies (get’s nice and creamy).
  4. Pour the dressing on the kale salad and toss well.
  5. Serve cold and ENJOY!

Equipment

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mixing bowl

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Notes

  1. If you are making this ahead, store the salad and the dressing separately in the fridge in airtight containers and when you are ready to eat it, add your dressing to the mixture and enjoy! It should last in the fridge for up to 3 days. 
  2. You can use any kind of kale for this recipe – I like to use dark lacinato kale or curly kale. Bagged, store-bought kale also works as a shortcut but I still recommend massaging it first. 
  3. You want to make sure to wash the kale really well first since it can hold a lot dirt and become gritty (nobody wants that).  Then you want to either add the rinsed kale to a clean kitchen towel, close it up and shake it a little to remove excess moisture or use a salad spinner to do this.  This will keep the green nice and crisp 
  4. Always massage kale for salads.  This will allow the kale to break down and become softer, which makes it easier to eat and digest. See the section above on tips for how to massage kale. 
  5. You can prep your kale ahead and have it ready to go for making salads all week long. Check out this post on how to store kale for more tips.  
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Healthy Salads
  • Method: Assembly
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @pinchmegoodfood on Instagram and hashtag it #pinchmegoodfood

Update: This recipe was updated with more recipe variations and photos, including an option for those that are too keen on the lemon flavor.

« Healthy Chocolate Chip Blondies – Gluten-Free
Chickpeas and Greens Buddha Bowl »

Filed Under: Favorite Winter Recipes, Gluten-Free, Healthy Fall Favorites, Kid-Friendly, Meal Planning and Prep, Most Popular, Quick and Easy Salads

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kristen

    January 3, 2019 at 1:13 pm

    Great salad! I also made it this last time by adding 2 tablespoons of tahini to the dressing and a little red pepper flakes. So yummy!

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 3, 2019 at 1:18 pm

      Awesome! Glad you liked it. Great idea to add your own spin on it. I will definitely try your version. It sounds delicious!

      Reply
  2. Sheldon Smith

    January 10, 2019 at 12:56 pm

    I would never trust any kale recipe which doesn’t have a step to “knead” the kale. It’s the only way to make the kale soft and edible.

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 10, 2019 at 1:15 pm

      Hi Sheldon! I totally agree! I always massage my kale and I note that in all of my other salad recipes except with Lacinto kale I have found that if you thinly slice it there is no need to massage it since it is thinner than curly kale. I will add a note in the recipe. Thank you for your comment!!

      Reply
      • Sheldon Smith

        January 2, 2021 at 7:43 pm

        Hey Amy,
        Just made your kale salad for the fifth or sixth time and it’s still as good as the first time I made it almost two years ago. Tossed in a few pecans instead of the pistachios. Thanks for the recipe, it’s part of our salad routine for life.

        Sheldon Smith
        Langhorne, PA

        ★★★★★

        Reply
        • Amy

          January 6, 2021 at 11:54 am

          Hi Sheldon! Thank you so much!

          Reply
  3. Patti

    January 14, 2019 at 8:02 am

    If I cant find Lacinto kale would it change things too much using the regular kale?

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 14, 2019 at 8:17 am

      Hi Patti, yes you can use regular kale. You will just want to thinly slice it and massage it with your fingers for a few minutes to break it down before adding the rest of the ingredients. I have made it that way before and it was just as good.

      Reply
  4. Daniella

    January 16, 2019 at 8:22 pm

    Thanks for the recipe, we loved it!

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 16, 2019 at 9:15 pm

      Hi Daniella, that is so great! So glad you liked it!

      Reply
  5. Misty

    January 20, 2019 at 9:51 pm

    If making it ahead for lunches, will it keep for a week as long as you dont combine the dressing with the kale?

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 20, 2019 at 9:57 pm

      Hi Misty! Yes, I as long as you keep the dressing separate from the salad it should last up to 5 days in an airtight container in the fridge. I make it a lot and store it for the week and it works out great!

      Reply
  6. Diane Estes

    January 25, 2019 at 11:00 am

    Amy’s father-in-law hates kale but he loves this salad. A win in this house!!

    Reply
  7. Paulette

    January 31, 2019 at 7:07 pm

    Really yummy salad. I too massaged it pretty well and it was tender. I also made it vegan with vegan parm. Thanks so much I will definitely make it again.

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      January 31, 2019 at 7:11 pm

      Hi Paulette! That sounds so good! Glad you liked it.

      Reply
  8. Rachel

    February 11, 2019 at 7:00 pm

    I made this tonight and it was so good! I used Craisins instead of the raisins because that’s what I had on hand. Will be making this again. Thanks!!

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      February 11, 2019 at 7:44 pm

      Awesome! So glad you like it!

      Reply
  9. Candice

    March 6, 2019 at 6:26 pm

    Delicious! Made this yesterday and devoured an entire bowl. Offered it to my 7 year old son when he got home from school and he devoured his too! He literally yelled out, “this is the best salad everrrrr!” Lol! Thank you for an awesome recipe! I know all my vegan/veggie friends and family will love this too! Having another bowl with dinner tonight.

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      March 28, 2019 at 8:32 am

      Yay! I am so glad you and your son liked it. My kids love it too!

      Reply
  10. Maxine

    May 10, 2019 at 12:13 am

    Hi I was wondering how many weight watchers points this would be . Thanks

    Reply
    • Amy Estes

      May 10, 2019 at 8:00 am

      Hi Maxine, I am not an expert on weight watchers but my mom is. It looks like this would be around 6 to 7 ww points per serving. If you leave out the maple syrup it would be about 5 points per serving. This is based on the current calculator and not the older ww calculators. Hope that helps!!!!

      Reply
  11. iamjackusa.wordpress.com

    December 19, 2019 at 8:09 am

    I like the helpful info you provide in your articles.
    I’ll bookmark your blog and take a look at once more here regularly.
    I’m relatively sure I’ll learn plenty of new
    stuff proper here! Good luck for the following!

    Reply
  12. Daryl

    December 27, 2019 at 4:14 pm

    My Dr told me that eating more kale would be a good idea for me to do. This is the first recipe I tried and glad I did. The only change is that I substituted the raisins for pine nuts. What a great recipe, thank you for sharing.

    ★★★★

    Reply
  13. Rocio

    January 25, 2020 at 6:15 am

    This salad is amazing!! Thank you so much for sharing this!! It is so delicious and easy to make!! My husband loves it too!! Definitely it will be a added to our weekly menu! Can’t wait to try your other recipes!! Keep sharing please!! Thanks!!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amy

      January 28, 2020 at 12:58 am

      Thank you so much! Glad you liked it!!!

      Reply
  14. Katie

    March 25, 2020 at 12:09 am

    We made this tonight and absolutely loved it! Next time I want to try it with powdered Parmesan in lieu of the shredded. Great staple recipe!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  15. Connie

    April 22, 2020 at 1:07 pm

    I don’t know how much two bunches of kale is.ounces or cups would have been helpful

    Reply
    • Amy

      April 29, 2020 at 10:18 am

      Hi Connie, it’s about 6 cups of kale chopped.

      Reply
  16. Shelly

    June 25, 2020 at 6:47 pm

    I really enjoyed this salad! It’s rare that I have all the ingredients for a recipe so I figured it was meant for me to try it. I made it vegan by using a vegan shredded cheese. Also, the comment about kneading the kale first was actually really helpful for the type of kale I had. Thank you!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amy

      June 27, 2020 at 12:18 pm

      Hi Shelly, I am so glad you enjoyed it!

      Reply
  17. Laura Parks

    August 2, 2020 at 11:22 pm

    Delightful! Even my husband raised about it! I substituted walnuts. Any chance you can add the oz. and/or cups of kale? It is growing profusely in my yard…but I still think I didn’t use enough.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amy

      August 3, 2020 at 7:03 am

      Hi Laura, so happy you and your husband liked it! It’s about 4-6 cups of chopped kale, about 1 bunch. So jealous you have it growing in your yard!

      Reply
  18. Karen

    October 14, 2020 at 2:49 am

    I can’t believe I saw no comments about using chopped kale that you can buy in bags at Trader Joes & Sprouts. Does bagged kale need to be massaged? Thanks. Can’t wait to try this after reading the great reviews!

    Reply
    • Amy

      December 12, 2020 at 11:46 am

      Hi Karen, you can of course use bagged kale. I would chop it and massage it as suggested in the post since that will help break it down more which helps with digestion and improves the texture of this salad. I hope you liked it! By the way! I love Trader Joe’s and Sprouts!

      Reply
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    May 17, 2021 at 7:30 am

    Hi there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this site with us so I came to
    check it out. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m bookmarking and will be tweeting this
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  20. Andrea Mahoney

    August 1, 2021 at 3:51 pm

    2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about the juice of 2 lemons)

    I don’t understand how this is true unless your lemons are not ripe? The juice of two whole lemons? Maybe it’s two lemon wedges?

    Reply
    • Amy

      August 4, 2021 at 8:20 am

      Hi Andrea, Thank you for your comment. It really depends on the size of the lemons, how ripe they are and if they are cold or at room temperature. All of these factors play into how much juice you can get out of one lemon. This is why I include the exact amount of lemon juice (2 tablespoons) and stated “about the juice of 2 lemons”.

      Reply
  21. Laurel

    August 14, 2021 at 8:21 pm

    I added shrimp and used cashews since thats what I had.instead of oil in the dressing I used a bit of tahini. Only made half the recipe since it’s just me and my husband but I wish I had made the full amount. I could have easily eaten the whole thing. It was THAT GOOD! Loved it and can’t wait to make it again.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amy

      August 16, 2021 at 12:40 pm

      Hi Laurel, I am so glad you liked it. It is literally my favorite salad.

      Reply
  22. Natalie

    January 20, 2022 at 12:10 pm

    This one is sooo good. I don’t come back often to rate recipes, but had to on this one. It’s going to stay in my rotation!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Amy

      January 28, 2022 at 10:43 am

      Thank you Natalie! I am happy you liked it and thank you so much for the review!

      Reply
  23. Ella

    May 10, 2022 at 11:39 pm

    I need to eat more kale. This looks a salad I should had to my list of things to try.

    Reply
    • Amy

      May 11, 2022 at 10:14 am

      Hi Ella, It is so good!

      Reply

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