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.
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 salad. It is the best kale salad recipe. It’s full of different flavors, textures and colors that will have everyone coming back for seconds.
When I think of fall, I want a healthy salad recipe with all the flavors of autumn. Along with this recipe, my favorites are pear salad, fennel salad and brussels sprout salad.
Table of Contents
Kale Salad Ingredients
To make kale salad make sure you have Tuscan kale leaves, apple, feta cheese, pecans, pomegranate and bacon. For the dressing you will want a shallot, olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and black pepper.
How Do You Make Kale Salad?
This recipe starts with a tangy homemade vinaigrette. Whisk together shallot, extra-virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Then chop Tuscan kale leaves into bite sized pieces and toss them in the vinaigrette. Add diced apples, bacon, feta cheese, pecans and pomegranate seeds. Then mix everything together and you’ll be ready to eat.
Tips For The Perfect Kale Salad
- The dressing can be prepared three days in advance.
- Feel free to use a container of pre-prepared pomegranate seeds.
- I recommend purchasing a block of feta and crumbling it yourself. The pre-crumbled can have anti caking agents that do not taste as fresh and may dry out the cheese.
- You can massage the kale in advance and store the leaves in an airtight container overnight. Simply add the rest of the ingredients the following day when you are ready to serve the salad.
- Try serving this salad with fall favorites like grilled turkey breast, sour cream mashed potatoes, pumpkin soup, butternut squash pasta or rice pilaf with cranberries and pecans.
Quick Tip
I use Pink Lady apples in the recipe but Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Gala apples are all great choices.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, raw kale is good in salads. It is best when cut into small pieces and tenderized. Raw kale is the perfect addition to salads, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas and more.
Massaging kale for salad makes it more tender and delicious. Tenderize kale by tossing it with dressing and massaging it by hand for 3-5 minutes or until the leaves are soft and pliable. Be sure to remove all the stems from your kale before you make your salad.
Tuscan kale leaves, also known as dinosaur or lacinato kale, are softer and have a more pleasant texture for salad. Curly kale can be naturally a bit tough when it’s raw.
You can reduce bitterness in kale by rinsing your chopped kale. Also, once you rinse and dry your kale you can further reduce bitterness by massaging the kale with a vinaigrette that contains olive oil.
Kale salad is a great way to get more nutrients into your diet. It 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.
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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.
- Avocado: Feel free to dice avocado and toss it in when you are ready to serve the 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 Salad with Avocado
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Chopped Salad with Chicken
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Ramen Noodle Salad
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Black Bean and Corn Salad
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Cucumber Tomato Salad
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Kale Salad
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.
Notes
- I use Pink Lady apples in the recipe but Braeburn, Honeycrisp, Fuji and Gala apples are all great choices.
- I recommend purchasing a block of feta and crumbling it yourself. The pre-crumbled can have anti caking agents that do not taste as fresh and may dry out the cheese.
- Feel free to use a container of pre-prepared pomegranate seeds.
This savory, fruity salad is packed with healthy and nutritious goodness. It’s a perfect salad for me.