Heres a snappy, fresh side dish or a light supper: a lemony green salad, rich with tang and crunch. The dressing is nothing more than lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and salt. Its simplicity makes it perfect.
Simple Kale Salad
This is the BEST kale salad recipe! It is made with fresh, hearty kale, Parmesan cheese, toasted almonds, dried cranberries, and a fresh lemon balsamic dressing. Enjoy for lunch or serve along side any meal.
Prep: 15min
Total: 15min
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 204 kcal, Carbohydrate 11 g, Protein 6 g, Fat 15 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Trans Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 6 mg, Sodium 141 mg, Fiber 2 g, Sugar 6 g, unSaturated Fat 14 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 to 2 teaspoons honey
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, (to taste)
- 2 bunches kale, (washed (I prefer Lacinato kale))
- Drizzle of olive oil
- Pinch of kosher salt
- 1/2 cup finely shredded Parmesan cheese
- 1/3 cup toasted sliced almonds, (can use pine nuts or pepitas)
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries, (can use golden raisins or dried currants)
Instruction:
- To make the dressing, in a small bowl or jar, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, balsamic vinegar, Dijon mustard, honey, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- First, remove the kale stems. Squeeze the top of the kale stem and slowly move your hand down the kale stem. The leafy part of the kale will come right off as you go down. Use a sharp knife to finely chop the kale.
- Place the kale in a large bowl. Drizzle the kale with just a little bit of olive oil, you don’t need a ton because you are adding a dressing. Sprinkle with a little kosher salt and massage with your clean fingers until the kale softens a bit.
- Drizzle the dressing over the kale and toss well. Add the Parmesan cheese, nuts, and dried fruit. Toss again and serve.
Easy Kale Salad with Fresh Lemon Dressing
This easy kale salad features fresh veggies and a super simple homemade lemon dressing, making it perfect as a healthy side dish or light lunch!
Prep: 20min
Total: 20min
Yield: 4
Serving Size: 1 serving
Nutrition Facts: calories 334 kcal, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 9 g, Fat 26 g, Saturated Fat 3 g, Sodium 315 mg, Fiber 4 g, Sugar 4 g, servingSize 1 serving
Ingredients:
- 5 cups kale (chopped)
- 1-2 teaspoons olive oil
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- 2 cups broccoli (chopped)
- ½ cup almonds (sliced)
- ½ cup cheese (optional (cheddar or feta work great here!))
- ¼-½ cup carrots (shredded)
- ¼ cup red onion (diced)
- ¼ cup sunflower seeds
- ¼ cup cranberries
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 teaspoon honey or sugar (adjust + add to taste)
Instruction:
- First make your dressing by combining ingredients above in a lidded mason jar then shake well to emulsify. Dip a kale leaf in the dressing and adjust sweetener, salt, and pepper to taste. You can make this dressing as sweet or tart as your heart desires!
- Next massage your chopped kale with a little olive oil and a pinch of salt. Rub with your fingers until leaves begin to darken and tenderize. This makes it taste great and gives the kale a silky texture!
- In a large bowl, combine massaged kale, broccoli, almonds, cheese, carrots, onion, sunflower seeds, cranberries. Shake your dressing once more and pour about ⅓ of the dressing over the salad. Toss to coat and add extra dressing, to taste.
Simple Kale Salad
This kale salad recipe is the BEST way to eat this leafy green! A dressing of lemon, garlic and Parmesan cheese makes it taste irresistible.
Prep: 15min
Total: 15min
Yield: 3
Nutrition Facts: servingSize None, calories 125 calories, Sugar 0.8 g, Sodium 236.7 mg, Fat 12.1 g, Saturated Fat 2.4 g, Trans Fat 0 g, Carbohydrate 3.3 g, Fiber 0.9 g, Protein 2.8 g, Cholesterol 3.6 mg
Ingredients:
- 1 large bunch Tuscan kale (about 8 ounces)*
- 1 very small or 1/2 medium garlic clove
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 lemon (3 to 4 tablespoons juice, plus zest)
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- Fresh ground black pepper
- Homemade croutons (optional)
Instruction:
- Wash and dry the kale. Then destem and roughly chop the kale leaves.
- Peel and mince the garlic clove. Sprinkle it with the kosher salt, then holding the blunt edge of the knife, scrape the sharp edge of the blade over the minced garlic, holding the knife at an angle and mashing the garlic into a paste.
- Place the paste in a medium bowl. Add the olive oil, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, and fresh ground black pepper, and whisk to combine. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir to combine.
- Toss the dressing with the kale leaves. Serve topped with lemon zest (and additional Parmesan cheese, if desired). If desired, serve with homemade croutons.
Healthy Kale Salad Recipe
FAQ
Can you eat kale raw like a salad?
How do you get the bitterness out of kale salad?
Should you cook kale before putting in a salad?
