My easy Kale Salad with Apples is a healthy salad recipe that even your kids will love! It is full of crunchy sweet apples that balance out the harsh flavor of the kale. Tossed with a sweet vinaigrette, this Gluten Free Kale Salad with Apples is simply delicious!
If you love salad with dinner as much as we do, check out all of my delicious gluten free salad recipes.
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This is an amazing kale salad. There, I said it.
My family originally thought I was crazy! Honestly, I owe all of this kale love to Chef Lopez at California Cafe in Los Gatos, CA. (Sadly, California Cafe closed, it was a wonderful place to dine when you are eating gluten free.)
This is the first kale salad that my family will eat. My kids went nuts over this salad, and they HATE kale!! I think it's because the apples add a bit of sweetness to balance out the slight bitterness of the kale.
You can enjoy this salad as a side dish, or toss in some grilled shrimp or chicken for a delicious light meal. If you love recipes with fruit, you will love this collection of gluten free recipes for Tu Bishvat.
Why this kale salad is amazing:
My kids eat it. This is the miracle kale salad that gets healthy food into your kids. It is easy to make in about 10 minutes, and it will keep for 3-4 days in your refrigerator. Win-win!
This easy kale salad recipe has romaine lettuce, kale, apples, and raisins...feel free to add other fruits, the dressing really works with the different flavors. If you love apples as much as I do, try out some of my favorite gluten free apple recipes!
I love how healthy kale is, but my kids HATE it when I cook it. Using raw kale in recipes can be challenging, but it all boils down to one thing...kale massage.
What is kale massage and kale tips:
One tip I must share from Chef Lopez is to massage your kale. It softens the kale leaves and I know this sounds weird, but it reduces the bitterness a bit as well.
Another great tip to making kale taste good is to make sure you remove the vein that goes down the middle of the leaves. This is where the bitter flavor comes from, so try to remove as much as you can.
Step by step recipe directions:
Step 1: Mix up the dressing ingredients and whisk to blend.
Step 2: Massage your kale and break it into pieces. Cut your apples into bite-sized pieces.
Step 3: Pour the dressing into the salad ingredients. Mix and allow to sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can blend together.
Expert Tips and Recipe FAQ:
I highly advise leaving the apple skin on!
I always use extra virgin olive oil to massage the kale.
This kale salad should keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container in your refrigerator.
Make it a meal by adding cooked shrimp or chicken!
More Delicious Salad Recipes To Try:
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📖 Recipe
Kale Salad with Apples
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 1 bunch kale * see note
- 2 apples chopped
- 1 head romaine lettuce chopped
- ¼ cup raisins
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chopped basil
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, dijan, basil, and garlic. Whisk and allow to sit.
- In a large salad bowl, add all salad ingredients.
- Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat. Allow to sit for 10 minutes for flavors to blend.
Notes
- To make your kale kid-friendly, you will want to massage the kale to remove the bitter flavor. To massage kale, put it into a bowl and use your hands to rub the leaves. Continue until the leaves soften and lose some of their stiffness.
- Rub your kale with extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor.
- You can customize this salad in a few ways. Add nuts and dried cranberries for a fun flavor combination.
- Add cooked shrimp or chicken to make this salad a meal.
Nutrition
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(*Original recipe Oct 2013. Photos edited 8/29/16)
Alene
I thought this was delicious. I had Tuscan kale which was great in the salad. Even my husband, who does not love kale, ate two helpings of it! A miracle! I will definitely make this again. Thank you for a great recipe.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked this salad Alene. And yay...your kale hating hubby loved it too!
Janey
I have a question...the description of the dressing indicates that it is sweet. I don't see any type of sweetener in the ingredient list so I'm wondering whether an ingredient is missing.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Janey, The sweetness comes from the apples and massaged kale, which takes the bitterness out.
Debi
Loved it.I had to modify it a little as I was out of a couple of things, but it was delicious
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked it Debi 🙂