Tangy, crunchy, full of incredible lemon flavor mixed with the amazing superfood KALE! This recipe is the best one you will find for Kale salad. So easy and comes together in minutes!
Hello all! Welcome to the best, Easy Kale Salad recipe you will ever stumble upon. How can I be that confident? The reactions I get every time I make this Easy Kale Salad says it all! Those faces, the pucker, the mind blowing eye raises. Happens every single time. Even people that claim they do not like kale, absolutely LOVE this easy kale salad! You have to make this since it will make you the cooking star you always hoped you would be!
This recipe is filled with tons of nutritious ingredients and It comes together in minutes. My kind of recipe!
Why is kale good for you?
It can boost a range of health problems due to the abundance of nutrients it contains like:
-
- Vitamins B6, K and C
- Iron
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Antioxidants
- Plan based protein
All of which help lower blood pressure, fights heart disease and aids in digestion. The list goes on! Plus kale is insanely delicious and easy to add to any meal.
How to use kale
Kale is extremely versatile and can bring a fresh and healthy element to so many types of dishes.
You could use kale in salad recipes (probably the most obvious choice), in patties like these quinoa and kale patties, as a topping on pizza, in buddha bowls, sauces like pesto or even to make crispy healthy kale chips, endless possibilities.
Check out this recipe for “How To Cook Kale” from Delish.com. It comes out perfect every time and its super EASY! One of my faves!
How to prepare kale
One of the most important things to mention when it comes to prepping kale is that you must wash it first of course and then massage it to get it nice and tender which makes it easier to work with and digest. Massaging your kale really helps to break down the fibers and it get’s so dark and simply gorgeous in my opinion.
So how do you massage kale? It’s easy really. After you wash it just place it into a bowl, add a drizzle of olive oil or lemon juice and a pinch of salt and use your fingers to massage it for a few minutes. It will turn nice and dark green and scrumptious right before your eyes. It’s kind of magic!
How to make this Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
First, as I mentioned, make sure you wash and massage the kale. Then just place it into a bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients. Whip up the lemon dressing by placing all of the dressing ingredients into a mason jar and shake, shake, shake until it all emulsifies and becomes a nice dreamy dressing. Pour the lemon dressing onto the salad, toss it all up and ENJOY!!!!
It really is so incredibly tasty. The tangy lemon dressing really brings this salad to a whole new level. I love that you can totally make this for you’re weekly meal-prep, store it in the fridge undressed and then pull it out whenever you need it. Just pour on the dressing, toss and wallah! Kale salad in minutes!
Dairy-free? Simply replace the parmesan cheese with vegan Parmesan and you have a delicious vegan version of this Easy Kale Salad.
Check out some of my other awesome kale salad recipes!
Simple Winter Kale Salad with Sweet Potato Croutons
Baby Kale, Spinach, Fennel and Apple Fall Salad with A Mustard Vinaigrette
Hearty Kale Lentil Potato Salad with Mustard Vinaigrette
Easy Kale Salad with Lemon Dressing
Ingredients
For the salad
- 2 bunches of Lacinato or curly Kale washed and massaged
- 1/2 cup chopped pistachios (or any nuts you have on hand)
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
- Zest of 1 lemon (about 1 tablespoon)
For the Lemon Dressing
- Juice of 2 lemons and zest of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup or honey
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the massaged kale in a large salad bowl with the rest of the salad ingredients and set aside.
- To make the dressing: Add the lemon juice, lemon zest, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup, olive oil and salt and pepper to a mason jar with a lid and shake it well until it emulsifies.
- Pour the dressing on the kale salad and toss well. Serve and ENJOY!
Notes
- If you are making this ahead, just store the salad and the dressing separately in the fridge in an airtight container and when you are ready to eat it just add your dressing to the salad and enjoy!
- To make this salad vegan just sub the parmesan cheese with vegan parmesan.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1 cupAmount Per Serving: Calories: 195 Total Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 6mg Sodium: 139mg Carbohydrates: 18g Fiber: 3g Sugar: 8g Protein: 6g
Hi I was wondering how many weight watchers points this would be . Thanks
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!!!!
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.
Yay! I am so glad you and your son liked it. My kids love it too!
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!!
Awesome! So glad you like it!
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.
Hi Paulette! That sounds so good! Glad you liked it.
Amy’s father-in-law hates kale but he loves this salad. A win in this house!!
If making it ahead for lunches, will it keep for a week as long as you dont combine the dressing with the kale?
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!
Thanks for the recipe, we loved it!
Hi Daniella, that is so great! So glad you liked it!
If I cant find Lacinto kale would it change things too much using the regular kale?
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.
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.
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!!
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!
Awesome! Glad you liked it. Great idea to add your own spin on it. I will definitely try your version. It sounds delicious!