This Kale Apple Salad is just the greatest kale salad recipe! Massaged with a candy and tangy home made dressing, then tossed with recent apples, tart cranberries, and toasted nuts, kale is remodeled right into a show-stopping, wholesome salad!
The Secret to Making the Greatest Kale Salad
Kale has a status for being robust and bitter and ugly to take pleasure in alone. However with one easy method, you’ll be able to change that!
The key to making ready a kale salad that may make your kale tender and scrumptious is to therapeutic massage the dressing into the kale.
Sure, I really imply to make use of your palms to work the dressing into the recent kale. This may assist to interrupt down the robust fibers of the kale leaves and permit the kale to soak up the flavors of the dressing and turn into extremely flavorful and tender.
It could sound odd, however it’s actually a game-changer on the subject of kale salads.
Whereas this technique will revolutionize ANY kale salad, let’s speak about this kale apple salad. Made with a candy and tangy Maple Dijon dressing, candy apples, dried cranberries, and toasted nuts, this can be a memorable Kale Salad that you’ll crave once more, and once more.
Notes on Components
- Kale: You need to use both curly kale or Lacinato Kale, which can also be known as Dinosaur Kale or Tuscan Kale. As an alternative of buying a bunch of kale, you may also use bagged kale that has already been washed and stems eliminated.
- Apples: Choose a candy, agency apple resembling Honeycrisp, Fuji, or Gala for a candy burst of recent apple taste. In the event you favor tart apples, Granny Smith will work as nicely on this Kale Apple Salad.
- Nuts (non-compulsory): If you do not have a nut allergy, I strongly advocate including toasted walnuts or pecans for a pleasant crunch and extra textural part to the kale salad.
- Dried Cranberries: Add a pleasant candy and tart taste to the salad.
- Blueberries (non-compulsory): I added blueberries to my Kale Apple Salad as soon as just because they wanted for use. And let me let you know, it was magic! The burst of recent blueberry taste was perfection in opposition to the tart cranberries and candy apples. If they’re seasonal and you’ve got them readily available, use them. If not, omit them and your salad will nonetheless be scrumptious.
- Maple Dijon Dressing: This recipe incorporates a Maple Dijon Dressing that pairs fantastically with the robust, earthy taste of the kale. The maple syrup and Dijon add taste, the apple cider vinegar helps to interrupt down the robust fibers within the kale and the olive oil provides a wealthy end. It’s perfection.
- Maple Syrup: The maple syrup is an ideal pair with the Dijon and apples and offers the dressing a wealthy end. Nevertheless, you should use honey if you do not have maple syrup readily available.
- Olive Oil: Be sure you use further virgin olive oil for the very best taste.
- Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is the very best complement to the Dijon, apples, and maple syrup. Nevertheless, be at liberty to make use of purple wine vinegar as a replacement.
- Dijon Mustard: Use stone-ground mustard or Dijon mustard, don’t use yellow mustard.
The right way to Make The Greatest Kale Salad
The next ideas are supplied that will help you obtain excellent outcomes. You’ll discover the detailed directions within the recipe card on the backside of this publish.
Put together the Kale. To cut the kale for salad, take away the thick stem from every stalk of kale and discard after which rib the kale into bite-sized items or roll the kale leaves up into ribbons and chop them into bite-size items. Alternatively, buy a bag of chopped kale.
Wash and dry the kale nicely. I like to recommend utilizing a salad spinner or a clear kitchen towel to dry the kale nicely, as that may assist the dressing adhere to the leaves, which is vital to an excellent kale salad.
Therapeutic massage the Kale. Add half the dressing to the ready kale and utilizing your palms, rub the dressing all by the kale, massaging the kale for a minute or two to essentially work the dressing into the leaves.
Marinate the Kale. For the very best outcomes, I like to recommend refrigerating the dressed kale for two hours or as much as 3 days previous to assembling the kale salad. This enables the kale time to completely break down and turn into extremely tender and insanely scrumptious.
Add Toppings Proper Earlier than Serving. It’s all the time greatest so as to add diced apples, berries, and toasted nuts proper earlier than serving. This may preserve the integrity and colour of the apples and permit the nuts to stay crunchy.
Extra Scrumptious Kale Recipes
In the event you loved this recipe for Kale Salad, I’d love so that you can depart a remark and evaluation under.
Kale Apple Salad with Maple Dijon Dressing
Made with a candy and tangy dressing, recent apples, tart cranberries, and toasted nuts, this easy recipe for kale salad is filled with taste, texture, and vitamins!
Servings: 4
Energy: 132kcal
Prevents your display screen from going darkish whereas making ready the recipe.
Directions
-
For the dressing, whisk or shake the vinegar, maple syrup, salt, pepper, onion powder, mustard, and olive oil collectively till emulsified. Put aside.
-
Take away the robust stem from the kale and chop or tear the leaves into bite-size items. Wash and dry the kale rather well after which place the ready kale into a big mixing bowl.
-
Add half the dressing to the ready kale and utilizing your palms, rub the dressing all by the kale, massaging the kale for a minute or two to essentially work the dressing into the leaves. Cowl and refrigerate for at the least 2 hours to let the kale tenderize and turn into flavorful from the dressing.
-
In case your nuts should not toasted, add the nuts to a dry skillet and toast over medium warmth, tossing each 30 seconds till your nostril smells the nuts. This could solely take 2-3 minutes. Take away the nuts from the warmth, cool them barely, and chop them into bite-sized items.
-
Earlier than serving the kale salad, add the diced apples, dried cranberries, blueberries if utilizing, and nuts and toss to distribute. Serve the kale salad instantly with the extra dressing on the aspect.
Notes
Apple: Use a candy, non-mealy apple resembling a Honey Crisp, Gala, Golden Scrumptious, or Fuji apple.
Maple Syrup: Be at liberty to exchange it with honey if you do not have maple syrup readily available.
Topping Choices: Prime this salad with any dried or recent fruit you want. This salad can also be scrumptious with chunks of cheddar cheese as nicely.
Storage: Retailer the marinated kale within the fridge for as much as 3 days in an hermetic container. For greatest outcomes, don’t add the apples and nuts till proper earlier than serving.
Vitamin
Energy: 132kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0.3g | Fats: 11g | Saturated Fats: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 1g | Monounsaturated Fats: 8g | Sodium: 188mg | Potassium: 29mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 8mg | Iron: 0.2mg
This publish was initially shared in 2018 however up to date in 2023 with new images.
