• Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About
  • Contact Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • RSS
    • Twitter

Dinner at the Zoo

  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food

Home » Salads » Kale Salad with Apples

September 15, 2019 By Sara 20 Comments

Kale Salad with Apples

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

This kale salad is loaded with apples, bacon, pomegranate, feta cheese and pecans, all tossed together in a homemade dressing. A fresh and vibrant salad that’s the perfect side dish for any occasion.

You can never go wrong with a hearty salad, some of my favorite crowd pleasers include taco salad, Greek salmon salad and this colorful kale salad.

Apple Kale Salad Recipe | Kale Recipe | Fall Salad #kale #apples #bacon #salad #feta #dinner #lunch #dinneratthezoo Apple Kale Salad Recipe | Kale Recipe | Fall Salad #kale #apples #bacon #salad #feta #dinner #lunch #dinneratthezoo

Apple kale salad topped with bacon and pecans.

Kale is considered to be a nutritional superstar, and it happens to be pretty delicious too! My absolute favorite way to enjoy kale is in this loaded kale salad. It’s full of different flavors, textures and colors that will have everyone coming back for seconds.

How do you make kale salad?

This recipe starts with Tuscan kale leaves, which are chopped then tossed in a homemade vinaigrette. Diced apples, bacon, feta cheese, pecans and pomegranate seeds all go into the salad, then everything is mixed together and you’ll be ready to eat.

Dressing being poured over dinosaur kale leaves.

How do you tenderize kale for salads?

Kale can be naturally a bit tough when it’s raw, especially curly kale. I’ve used Tuscan kale here, also known as dinosaur or lacinato kale. I feel that the Tuscan kale leaves are softer and have a more pleasant texture. Be sure to remove all the stems from your kale before you proceed with making your salad. The kale is tenderized by getting tossed with dressing, then massaged by hand for 3-5 minutes or until the leaves are soft and pliable.

Kale salad topped with apples, bacon, pecans, pomegranate and feta cheese.

Can you eat raw kale?

You can absolutely eat kale raw, as I mentioned before, it’s best when cut into small pieces and tenderized. Raw kale is the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and more.

Kale Salad variations

I typically make this salad just as written, but sometimes I switch things up a bit depending on the ingredients that I have on hand.

  • Fruit: Try swapping pears for apples and dried cranberries for pomegranate seeds.
  • Protein: Add some grilled diced chicken breast to make this salad a main course.
  • Nuts: Almonds, walnuts and pine nuts work great in lieu of pecans.
  • Cheese: Goat cheese, blue cheese or shaved parmesan cheese are nice substitutes for feta cheese.

A bowl of tuscan kale salad garnished with cooked bacon.

Is kale salad healthy?

Kale salad is a great way to get more nutrients into your diet. Kale is considered a superfood and is filled with calcium, manganese, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, potassium and copper. Kale is low calorie, high in fiber and low in carbohydrates. Many of the other ingredients in this salad are healthy including the apples, pomegranates and pecans. If you’re looking for the healthiest salad possible, you can omit the bacon or use turkey bacon instead. That being said, I think the bacon really adds a lot of flavor so I recommend you leave it in!

Tongs in a bowl of kale and apple salad.

Once you try this salad, you’ll never look at kale the same way again! This salad is the perfect side dish for any meal and it pairs well with most proteins including pork, chicken and fish. It’s also a great choice for a potluck.

More great salad recipes

  • Chickpea Avocado Salad
  • Chicken Chopped Salad
  • Ramen Noodle Salad
  • Black Bean and Corn Salad
  • Cucumber Tomato Salad
Apple kale salad topped with bacon and pecans.
Print Pin
5 from 14 votes

Kale Salad

This kale salad is loaded with apples, bacon, pomegranate, feta cheese and pecans, all tossed together in a homemade dressing. A fresh and vibrant salad that's the perfect side dish for any occasion.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword kale salad
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 minute
Total Time 21 minutes
Servings 6
Calories 265kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

For the salad

  • 5 cups Tuscan kale leaves stems removed, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 cup diced apple I use Pink Lady
  • 1/2 cup feta cheese crumbled
  • 1/2 cup pecans roughly chopped
  • 1/2 cup pomegranate arils
  • 1/2 cup bacon cooked and crumbled

For the dressing

  • 1 tablespoon shallot minced
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 teaspoons honey
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  • In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the dressing.
  • Place the kale in a large bowl and pour the dressing over the top. Use your hands to massage the dressing into the kale for 3-5 minutes, or until kale is tender.
  • Add the apple, feta cheese, pecans, pomegranate arils and bacon to the bowl of kale. Toss to combine, then serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 12mg | Sodium: 196mg | Potassium: 370mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 5640IU | Vitamin C: 69.4mg | Calcium: 151mg | Iron: 1.2mg

Filed Under: Salads Tagged With: Apples, Bacon, Kale, Pomegranate

Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!

« Baked Chicken Wings
Deep Fried Turkey »

Comments

  1. Shannon says

    January 7, 2021 at 3:45 pm

    Can I mix it all together a day in advance? I love kale just don’t have much time in the morning to put it all together. And how about the dressing. Can it be left out over night or refrigerated?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      January 7, 2021 at 9:04 pm

      You should refrigerate the dressing, I’d add the dressing at the last minute or things could get soggy and the apples will brown if cut a day in advance.

      Reply
  2. Sophie Chavez says

    December 15, 2020 at 10:11 am

    Can you use baby spinach or a mixed salad type instead of kale?

    Reply
    • Sara says

      December 15, 2020 at 8:32 pm

      Yes either would work well!

      Reply
  3. Penny says

    October 20, 2020 at 12:39 pm

    5 stars
    This is the first time I’ve eaten kale. I was worried ! However this salad looked amazing and was similar to other salads I enjoy. It didn’t disappoint at all! I used Honeycrisp apples in mine. I will definitely be making this again!

    Reply
  4. Mei says

    September 28, 2020 at 6:19 pm

    5 stars
    Perfect combination of flavors and it tasted amazing!

    Reply
  5. Nancy says

    July 6, 2020 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    Making it again! So good. This time adding a pear in place of an apple.

    Reply
  6. Flo says

    February 23, 2020 at 7:58 pm

    5 stars
    This was really delicious and I have been using the salad dressing recipe on other salads

    Reply
  7. Deb says

    November 2, 2019 at 7:31 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious colorful salad that I just love and serve as a main dish!

    Reply
  8. Erin says

    October 26, 2019 at 3:31 pm

    5 stars
    I just made this and it is my most favorite salad I’ve ever made! I used goat cheese instead of feta and had to use some premade poppyseed dressing because I realized I didn’t have dijon mustard. It was soooo yummy!

    Reply
  9. Jas @ All that's Jas says

    September 17, 2019 at 2:36 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my, love the sweet with salty and textures in this healthy salad! Just drooled a little. 🙂

    Reply
  10. Emily says

    September 17, 2019 at 1:41 pm

    5 stars
    I’m a big fan of kale salad so I’m always looking for new ones to try, love the sound of this!

    Reply
  11. Ilona says

    September 17, 2019 at 1:34 pm

    Love the addition of apples to the kale. Perfect season we have right now for this salad:)

    Reply
  12. Adrianne says

    September 17, 2019 at 1:01 pm

    5 stars
    Such a nutritious dish right here, it makes me feel good, just looking at it!! Thanks, can’t wait to try it.

    Reply
  13. estelle says

    September 17, 2019 at 12:55 pm

    I am loving all those salad toppings!!!! pecans and apples are some of my favs….I haven’t tried my hand at kale, but this recipe looks really easy and delicious, I cant wait to try it!

    Reply
  14. Suzy says

    September 16, 2019 at 4:05 pm

    5 stars
    This salad makes me so happy! Kale is our favorite to eat and the flavor was just amazing with the apples!

    Reply
  15. Cindy Gordon says

    September 16, 2019 at 4:04 pm

    5 stars
    So much yum in this recipe! I am a huge kale fan and this recipe does not disappoint! Quickly becoming one of my favorites!

    Reply
  16. Stephanie says

    September 16, 2019 at 3:48 pm

    5 stars
    I absolutely love Kale salads so I was excited to see this recipe. It sounds so good with the addition of apples. I’ll be adding this to my rotation of salads to make.

    Reply
  17. Colleen says

    September 16, 2019 at 3:15 pm

    5 stars
    So much to love about this salad! Not only the kale, but bacon, apples, pomegranates, and pecans. This salad has it all & I can’t wait to make it.

    Reply
  18. Lisa | Garlic & Zest says

    September 16, 2019 at 2:56 pm

    5 stars
    You KNOW how to make a salad! I enjoy kale salads, but it’s really about what you mix it with — and of course that homemade dressing. I’ll be eating this one all season long.

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating





With 3 young kids, dinner can feel like feeding time at the zoo! I'm a mom on a mission to create easy, healthy and family friendly recipes ...Read More
category category category category category category category

Categories

Sites I am featured In
PRIVACY POLICY © Sara Welch and Dinner at the Zoo® LLC, 2015-2018.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • About Me
  • Contact Me
  • All Recipes
  • Dinner
  • Appetizers
  • Dessert
  • One Pot Meals
  • Slow Cooker
  • Asian Food