This Kale Salad recipe is full of all the classic flavors of Fall. Kale topped with cranberries, apples & pecans. Then lightly dressed with lemon & maple. An easy salad perfect for the holidays or anytime. Gluten Free, Vegan, Paleo.
And since the holidays are sneaking up rather quickly, then it seemed like the perfect opportunity to share this Fallish Kale Salad....
Especially since it would be a nice colorful addition to the Holiday menu!
Massaged Kale topped with only a few ingredients making it an easy healthy side you can add to the table quickly.
Or even great served as a light tasty dinner or lunch.
Kale salads are always some of my favorites since they store well and can easily be made ahead.
Why Massage Kale?
Raw Kale can be a little tough or even bitter depending on the variety....
Massaging the kale just makes it tender, more flavorful, and easier to chew & digest.
Kale salad massaged
- First give it a thorough rinse in cold water and remove the hard stems.
- Then make sure to dry it completely.
- Sprinkle it with a little salt, & olive oil and just start rubbing it together with your fingers.
- Kind of like you'd massage anything... only now with kale leaves 😉
Now that we've got that covered with can talk about the ingredients....
What you'll need for this Apple Cranberry Kale Salad recipe:
Apples- you can use any variety but I prefer Fuji for its crisp texture and overall sweetness
Fresh Cranberries- not the dried or frozen ones
Radishes
Pecans
Kale of course 😆
And for the dressing - lemons, olive oil, and maple syrup
So you see there really isn't a whole lot to this salad but the combination of these ingredients are perfect for the flavors & textures.
And here are a few more of my favorite Kale salad recipes....
Protein Packed Kale Quinoa Salad
Plus don't forget if you make this recipe to please leave a comment below ⬇ and with a star ⭐ rating!
Enjoy!
Until Next time- xoxo
📖 Recipe
Apple Cranberry Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 5-6 cups chopped kale
- 1 medium apple- I used Fuji
- ⅔ cup fresh cranberries
- 2-3 medium radishes
- handful of pecan halves
- 1 lemon juiced
- ¼ cup olive oil- divided
- 2 tsp. pure maple syrup
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Rinse Kale and remove hard outer stems and dry thoroughly.
- Place in large salad bowl along with 2 tbsp. olive oil and salt to taste.
- Massage kale with hands until starting to soften and combined.
- Meanwhile rinse fresh cranberries, chop apple into bite sized pieces and thinly slice radishes.
- Top on massaged kale.
- Pour juice of lemon, remaining olive oil and maple syrup on salad and stir till combined.
- Taste for salt.
- Add pecans when ready to serve.
Notes
Tisha
This salad is perfect with fall flavors!
Jillian
Perfect salad for the holidays!
Andrea Metlika
This looks great and refreshing! Fresh Cranberries and pecans are a great idea for a salad in the fall.
Amanda
This sounds perfect for the holidays! I'll definitely have to put this on the menu. Thanks for sharing!
Amy | The Cook Report
I love kale salad and this looks like the perfect autumn version