This killer kale salad is my go-to salad. If I didn’t share it with you all i would be doing you an injustice! It’s hearty, a little sweet, and so delicious with the addition of roasted sweet potatoes. You can make this as a meal itself or serve it as a side dish. Not only that, it’s a dream for meal prepping. Make a big batch in the beginning of the week even after days of sitting in the fridge, it still won’t be soggy!
Why you should make this salad:
This killer kale salad is the kind of thing you’ll want to add to your weekly rotation once you see how delicious it is! The leafy green kale is a great way to get tons of antioxidants and vitamins into your diet and the dressing I use in this recipe is so good, I could drink it with a straw! In fact, I recommend making extra dressing to keep in your fridge for really any salad you make!
Ingredients you’ll need for this delicious power kale salad:
- Kale: chopped and stems removed
- Apple: diced
- Walnuts: chopped
- Craisins
- Pepitas: I love these but you can also use sunflower seeds or really any seed you have on hand for some crunch!
- Sweet potato: chopped
- Olive oil: You can substitute avocado oil as well.
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
- Paprika
For the dressing:
- Olive oil: This is the best oil for salad dressings!
- Apple cider vinegar
- Lemon
- Grainy or dijon mustard
- Honey: Pure maple syrup would be great too!
- Garlic powder
- Sea salt
- Pepper
How to make my favorite kale salad:
- Roast up some diced sweet potato.
- In the meantime, prep the kale and massage it a little if you want it to be more tender.
- Mix up the dressing and pour it over the kale.
- Add in the mix-ins and top with the roasted sweet potatoes!
- Don’t forget, this salad is delicious the next day as well!
FAQ:
The first thing you want to do to the kale is remove the stems. You don’t want to eat the stems because they are tough, bitter and fibrous. Removing them only takes a few minutes and makes for a much more pleasant final result!
Yes! I use curly kale most of the time but you could definitely use dinosaur kale as well. It’s a little thinner than curly kale and won’t require as much massaging to become tender.
Since kale is very hearty and firm compared to romaine lettuce, spring mix or other common bases for salads, it is best to allow the kale to sit in the dressing for at least 30 minutes before eating. This will allow the kale to soften a little and make it much easier to chew and digest! If you don’t have time to wait, try massaging the kale with some olive oil and lemon juice for a few minutes to soften it before you pour on the dressing and add in the toppings.
The Best Kale Salad
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bunch kale chopped and stems removed
- 1 apple chopped
- 1/2 cup walnuts chopped
- 1/2 cup Craisins
- 1/2 cup pepitas
- 1 sweet potato chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp paprika
For the dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 tbsp grainy or dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F.
- Wash, then cube the sweet potato. Transfer to a plate and microwave until soft (should take 6-8 minutes depending on the size of cubes).
- Put the cooked sweet potato on to a rimmed baking sheet and toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and paprika. Roast for 20 minutes or until crispy on the outside.
- White the potato is roasting, prepare the dressing by adding all the ingredients to a bottle with a lid, mason jar or small container and shaking well.
- Prep the kale by pulling the leafy part away from the stem, then rinsing/squeezing under cold water. Pat dry with some paper towel and chop into smaller pieces.
- Transfer the kale to a large bowl, add in the chopped apple, walnuts, Craisins and pepitas.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine.
- Top with roasted sweet potato and enjoy!
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