Kale Salad With Apples and Walnuts

Kale Salad With Apples and Walnuts is a great salad for any occasion, combining the crisp sweetness of fresh apples and earthy kale with the rich flavour of crunchy nuts. It's a simple yet satisfying way to enjoy a healthy, vibrant dish. Perfect for when you need a little leafy green goodness with a delicious twist!

Jump to:

• Best Type of Kale For Salad
• Other Ingredients and Substitutes
• Alternative Dressing For Kale, Apple and Walnut Salad
• Step-By-Step Method
• What To Serve Kale Salad With?
• Storage
• More Kale Recipes 
• Kale, Apple and Walnut Salad

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Loving autumnal salads? Try our Butternut Squash and Feta Salad With Balsamic Dressing and Beetroot and Grapefruit Salad next!

Best Type of Kale For Salad

When it comes to making a kale salad, the best types of kale are curly kale, Lacinato kale (also known as dinosaur kale or Tuscan kale), and baby kale.

Curly kale is the most common, with its bright green, frilly leaves that hold up well to dressings. Lacinato kale has darker, flat leaves and a slightly milder flavour, making it a favourite for raw kale salads.

Baby kale, being younger and more tender, requires no massaging and can be tossed directly into your salad. 

Other Ingredients and Substitutes

• kale: shredded.
• salt and olive oil: for softening the kale. 
• a small apple: thinly sliced or cut into thin matchsticks. We like tangy apples like Granny Smith. If you intend to dress this hearty kale salad with pomegranate vinaigrette, avoid overly sweet apples (like Pink Lady or Honeycrisp apples). Love apples in salads? Try our Kohlrabi and Apple Salad!
• lemon juice: to prevent apples from oxidising. 
• walnuts: may be replaced with pecans, pumpkin seeds or sunflower seeds.  
• raisins or dried cranberries.

Any Protein? We love adding some goat cheese, feta cheese or blue cheese on top of this salad. But shredded cooked chicken or turkey would also make a great addition to this kale apple salad.

Suggested Salad Dressing

We like this salad with a tart apple variety and sweet and tangy pomegranate molasses vinaigrette. Here's what you'll need:

• pomegranate molasses.
• honey or maple syrup.
• red or white wine vinegar: or apple cider vinegar. 
• lemon juice: ideally, freshly squeezed. 
• a little black pepper and a pinch of salt. 
• olive oil: extra virgin. Try it with walnut oil, if you have some handy - it's great!

You can find ingredient quantities, full method and nutritional values in the recipe card at the bottom of the post. 

Alternative Dressing For Kale, Apple and Walnut Salad

A great way to make this salad your own is to change up the dressing. We think that this Kale and Apple Salad recipe tastes great with just a drizzle of good-quality balsamic vinegar, but if you want to go all out, try the following dressing recipes:

• Simple Apple Cider Vinaigrette
• Dijon Mustard Lemon Salad Dressing (Easy 5-Minute Recipe)
• Caesar Salad Dressing Without Anchovies - it really pairs well with kale!
• Lemon Basil Vinaigrette (Easy Salad Dressing Recipe)
• Easy Maple Tahini Dressing Recipe (perfect for winter months)

Step-By-Step Method

You can make this kale apple walnut salad within 10 minutes - so let's get started!

Step 1: Massage The Kale, But Why?

Make sure to run the kale under cool running water, place it in a salad spinner to dry and then shred it into bite-sized pieces. 

Place the shredded kale in a large bowl, and add a drop of olive oil and a little salt. Using your fingertips, massage the kale to soften for best results. This step could be skipped if you are using extra tender kale, like baby kale. 

It is a simple trick to transform this hardy green. Kale can be a bit tough and fibrous, but a quick massage breaks down its tough cell structure, making it softer, more tender, and easier to chew. The oil and salt help to soften the leaves while also enhancing their flavour and removing some of the bitter taste, ensuring your salad is not just nutritious but also delicious.

Step 2: Assemble

Slice the apples and sprinkle them with lemon juice to prevent them from browning.

Place apple slices, dried fruit and toasted crunchy walnuts into the massaged kale. 

Step 3: Dress Your Kale Salad

Should you choose to make the suggested pomegranate molasses dressing, add all the dressing ingredients in a small jar (like a mason jar) and shake vigorously to emulsify.

Whichever dressing you choose, drizzle everything with the vinaigrette and toss well to combine. Serve immediately!

What To Serve Kale Salad With?

Kale salad is a versatile side dish that pairs beautifully with a variety of meals. It's a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving menu, balancing out rich dishes with its fresh, crisp flavour. Fall salads like this one, with hearty ingredients, are great alongside roasted meats or as a light, refreshing option during a cosy autumn meal. We particularly like serving it with slow-cooked lamb shoulder! 

Storage

Kale salad is best served fresh, as the apple can oxidise and the kale may get soggy over time. However, if you've made a big batch, it's perfectly safe to store leftovers. Simply place the salad in an airtight container and keep it in the fridge. While the texture might change slightly, the flavours will still be enjoyable.

More Kale Recipes 

We hope you enjoyed our kale salad recipe. Have more kale to use? Maybe we can tempt you with the following recipes?