This Amazing Kale Salad is so scrumptious. Made with roasted almonds and crisp apples, it’s just bursting with delicious flavors.
This Amazing Kale Salad is a super flavorful side dish. Made with healthy ingredients that are full of vitamins and antioxidants, you can feel good munching on this. This easy to prepare dish is packed with superfood kale, protein-packed almonds, and fiber-rich apple pieces. Add in the simple garlic lemon dressing and you have a tasty salad to serve.
In this recipe, I use roasted almonds. If you don’t have any that are roasted (maybe you only have raw almonds on hand), I highly suggest roasting them. This is actually really easy and you don’t want to skip this step. Roasted nuts make a very big difference in the flavors in this kale salad. Plus, when you roast them yourself, the taste is even better than the roasted ones sold in stores.
How to Roast Almonds
Roasting nuts is really very easy. Here are two ways to do it:
- Roast almonds in the oven. To do this, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place the almonds on a baking sheet. Roast them for 10-15 minutes if they are whole almonds (8-12 for sliced almonds). Then allow them to cool.
- Roast almonds in a skillet. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and then roast the almonds over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally with a spatula.
Either method works great and you can make as much as you like, storing any extra in an airtight container for your next amazing Kale Salad.
Main Ingredients
- Kale. You can use either curly or Lacinato kale for this salad.
- Apples. Sweet and semi-sweet apple varieties can be used, such as Honeycrisp, Gala, or Fuji apples.
- Roasted Almonds. You can use other kinds of nuts, too. Almonds pair the best, but cashews, macademia nuts, and pine nuts work as well. It’s important to use roasted nuts because they have deeper flavors that complement the dish. And of course, nuts taste even better when you roast them yourself.
- Dressing Ingredients. Olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt are all you’ll need.
How to Make Kale Salad
1. Remove the stalks from the kale and discard. Roll the kale up into a bunch and slice the leaves thinly.
2. Place the kale leaves into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and massage the leaves until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to the kale. Stir well and set aside.
4. Peel and core the apple. Dice it into small pieces and add them to the salad. Stir everything well.
5. Transfer the salad into a serving bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top. Serve.
How to Store this Kale Salad
This amazing Kale Salad is best when eaten as soon as it’s made. However, it can be stored for a couple of days in the refrigerator. Just place it in an airtight container and it will keep for about 2 days. Keep in mind that the kale leaves may become a little soggy and there might be some browning of the apples pieces.
What to Serve this with
- On its own. This can be a side dish or you can eat it as a light meal.
- As a side salad. This salad tastes delicious as a healthy accompaniment to most chicken or pork dishes.
- With a grain. Serve this salad with pasta, baked potatoes, or fried rice.
This Amazing Kale Salad is a really delicious and healthy side dish. It goes great with so many things and is super easy to make. The crunch of the apples and almonds with the textured kale leaves makes for a yummy mouthful, and the simple yet flavorful garlic lemon dressing is the perfect complement.
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do. It’s a great way to eat a light and healthy meal or side that packs satisfying protein and fiber with lots of vitamins and minerals. They don’t call kale a superfood for nothing! Enjoy this salad as is or tweak it to your preference. Either way, I hope it becomes one of your favorites.
You’ll also enjoy these tasty salad:
Video Tutorial
Amazing Kale Salad
Ingredients
- 1 lb. kale
- 1 large semi-sweet apple
- 1/3 cup roasted almonds
Dressing Ingredients
- 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 garlic clove
- 1/2 tsp. salt or to taste
Instructions
- Remove the stalks from the kale and discard. Roll the kale up into a bunch and slice the leaves thinly.
- Place the kale leaves into a large mixing bowl. Add the salt and massage the leaves until the kale starts to soften and wilt, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic to the kale. Stir well and set aside.
- Peel and core the apple. Dice it into small pieces and add them to the salad. Stir everything well.
- Transfer the salad into a serving bowl and sprinkle the nuts on top. Serve.
Notes
HOW TO ROAST ALMONDS
Roasting nuts is really very easy. Here are two ways to do it:- Roast almonds in the oven. To do this, preheat your oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit and place the almonds on a baking sheet. Roast them for 10-15 minutes if they are whole almonds (8-12 for sliced almonds). Then allow them to cool.
- Roast almonds in a skillet. Spray the skillet with cooking spray and then roast the almonds over medium-high heat for about 15 minutes, stirring them occasionally with a spatula.
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